Let's make this clear from the start — Japan must fix its mistake now. Takaichi must apologize, take responsibility, and give the Chinese people a real answer.

Japan is now tasting the backlash of its own provocations. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just taken office for a few weeks, yet she's managed to offend almost every neighbor Japan has.

The political fallout is just the beginning. The economic damage is real. Shiseido — a brand heavily dependent on Chinese customers — saw its stock plunge 11%. Other Japanese companies? All taking hits in different degrees.

There's only one way for Japan to climb out of this self-inflicted disaster: Sanae Takaichi must apologize, retract her statements, face history honestly, and stop playing with fire on the Taiwan question.