German Chancellor Merkel to visit Japan next month

Germany is a country that has reconciled with its neighbors and among themselves after unification. This has not been as easy or as "natural" as has sometimes been portrayed, and outstanding political leadership has played a key role.

I hope that Merkel's visit will generate some degree of reflection and maybe introspection on the part of Japan's leaders.

Chancellor Merkel is my favorite leader of a nation. She brings talent and integrity to her position, possibly unmatched by any other world leader.

I look forward to her visit to Japan, and hope something meaningful comes of it.

An amazing intellect, political brain, fluent in Russian, a humanist and a titanic tactician. What an incredible person.

Ha! It's the first time in seven years cuz it's the first time in Japan's seven years it seems there's a Prime Minister that won't change next month making everything discussed null and void.

@Kabukilover, you can't blame Merkel for poverty and suicides in Greece. The Greeks have for decades abused their own state through social engineering policies that are extremely counter-productive. They're now just paying the price. And as for Hitler, let's just get over him, okay? Russian-German relations might be a bit tense, right now, because of Russia's backing of the rebels in Ukraine, but that, too, will go by. At least, I can only hope.

@Kabukilover

You can blame Angela Merkel all you want for Greece, but she is following the will of her people by tightening the screws on Greece. The Germans have seen Greek democracy borrow and borrow again to have a lifestyle beyond their means, then balk at paying their legal obligations, while they had to suffer years of readjustment to reincorporate East Germany. Now, Greek democracy wants direct European support because they can no longer borrow. Why should German democracy acquiesce?

As for 'reparations' - never going to happen. All issues have been settled by treaty. To reopen the settlements would unravel the entire postwar European order.

Not sure they will agree on much, Merkel is far too austere, penalising a lot of the Eurozone periphery economies, while Abe is a very heavy spender.. Talks on trade and security would obviously be the most productive areas of dialogue.

Merkel is just another leader with imperial habits. She is just hiding it under the guise of european values and humanism. She is really cunning and mercantile politician, politics it's just that thing without humanism. Actually, Western Europe invented humanism and european values to hide their imperialism. They can dictate a lot of things to another states "in the name of european values and humanism". If a country does not agree just start to bomb this state in the name of humanism. Humanitarian bombing - hobby of EU and another western countries!

She will "visit Japan early next month for the first time in seven years ". That is a long time since the multinational Toya summit. Also considering that Merkel visited China 7times since 2005.

Good to hear about the respect for the Asahi Shinbum in other important countries.

Mixed feelings about Merkel and Germany. Merkel's pluses; talking to Putin And standing up against the anti-Islamic Neo-Nazis. Big Minus. Greece. One: While acknowledging German atrocities in Greece Germany has refused to pay reparations. Merkel has visited a financial atrocity on Greece regarding payment of debts. Thanks to her poverty and suicides have increased in that country.

About Germany in general as a moral model in admitting crimes against humanity. Good but not altogether good. Germany has been adamant is admitting that Germans were responsible for the Holocaust. i've been to Germany and seen the depth of sincerity about this, particularly among progressive and educated people. But there are aspects of the Holocaust the Germans have all but completely ignored. This is particularly true with regard to Russia. You will a lot of what the Russians did to the Germans once they turned the tables, but not what the Germans did to the Russians. Hitler went into Russian not simply to conquer but to destroy a culture and its people. Around 3.5 million Russian POWs slaughtered by the Germans, for example, either through neglect or execution. They destroyed such cultural icons as Pushkin's home a Tolstoy's home (Yasnoya Pollyanna). They did the same in other Slavic countries. But there is no remorse about what Hitler did the Soviet Union, particularly Russia.

Merkel and Germany are a mixed bag.

Does this mean that European companies have shifted their focus onto Japan from China where many foreign companies are being squeezed by Chinese government by fines & lawsuits? Germany will not be acting the way it is unless for a economic reason. Japan should be forewarned.....

As an admirer of Ekaterina II, Ms Merkel seems to have good chemistry with Mr. Putin and though she preaches him the Western rules, she behaves as if she helped him override Washington. It's actually not Poroshenko but Putin that Merkel and Hollande seem to be hand in hand with. It is no time for fighting with Russia now. Real threats are far down south. She may be even thinking to lift sanctions on Moscow in due course of time. Geopolitically correct decision perhaps. So her visit may be verysuggestive to Abe of how to seek the national interests while going through the motions of the vassal state obligations.

Sure I can blame Merkel for the suicides and poverty in Greece. She is demanding the EU'S pound of flesh without regard to the chaos it is causing within Greek society. It is that simple. Also, the people who are suffering are not the people who got Greece into this mess. Those people are rich and powerful still.