ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the first day of Prime Minister Tanaka’s visit to China. While the initial negotiations between the two parties are discussed, much of this chapter is devoted to addressing the fallout from Tanaka’s speech at a welcome banquet that evening in which he expressed regret for the “meiwaku” caused by Japan during the war. This speech (and particular term) has become rather infamous, and this chapter discusses the meaning of the term, how it was translated into Chinese, and the process through which the speech was written. Through interviews with the foreign ministry officials who wrote and translated the speech, the importance of domestic Japanese politics on its contents is made clear.
