Despite their shared status as Asian powerhouses, Japan and China's bilateral relations are at a historic low since 1972, attributed to a widening perception gap. The article suggests that fostering direct people-to-people exchanges is crucial for bridging this divide and promoting regional peace and prosperity. Such interactions could improve mutual understanding and stabilize relations.

Japan and China are Asian powerhouses that should collaborate responsibly for the peace and prosperity of the region. However, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs since the start of the century and are now at their lowest point after normalisation in 1972. A major cause of this is the widening perception and information gap between the two nations that needs to be addressed through direct people-to-people contact. Some, perhaps many, misunderstand that Japan and China are always.....