On Sunday, Europe marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the historic agreement that established such bodies as the European Parliament and the Court of Justice.

Primarily, the document signed on March 25, 1957, was an economic deal, melding the six signatory nations -- France, Germany (or West Germany in those days), Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands -- into a free-trade zone.

It was no small accomplishment, particularly in light of the more-than-strained relations that were very much the rule among these countries 50 years prior to the deal. The first and second world wars were catastrophic conflicts, with much of the fighting in Europe occurring between France and Germany. Those conflagrations were reflected in the preceding centuries as well.

But by the end of WWII, it was more than clear that a new way forward had to be found. Winston Churchill himself proposed in 1946 the formation of a kind of United States of Europe, and said such an agreement must be built on the basis of France and Germany being strong partners.

With such urging from a distinguished leader like Churchill, the political will to set aside decades, even centuries, of conflict was found, and the famous Treaty of Rome came into existence. Its legacy today speaks for itself: The European Union is arguably the premier supranational body in the world.

Europe enjoys one of the world's highest standards of living, along with high health, education and social benefits. At the same time, the EU is moving toward a position of increasing international influence with its progressive and negotiation-based approach to foreign policy.

And so while Europeans will be justified in raising a celebratory glass of champagne, here in Japan the possibility of something similar seems far away.

After the Doha round of WTO talks failed, Japan has found itself more reliant on bilateral trade deals as a kind of stopgap measure until a larger EU-style trade agreement can be arranged.

More worrying, however, are the recent discussions on history, such as Japan's role in the war and its unresolved role in organizing the euphemistically termed "comfort women."

Likewise, the presentation earlier this month to a group of 30 Japanese lawmakers by rightwing historian Shudo Higashinakano, who argued that the Nanjing Massacre never occurred, suggests Japan has still yet to present its wartime past in a manner that will meet the approval of its other Asian partners.

Such a stance could prove a major obstacle to any kind of economic or political integration.

Although this situation runs the risk of turning into a pessimistic scenario, one needs to recall the long-held animosity between Germany and France, a mutual hatred that has since developed into a strong friendship. If it was possible there, it should be possible here, too. But if we are to adopt an even more concretely optimistic view of the situation, digging a little further into the history of the EU treaty reveals a promising possibility.

The Treaty of Rome was preceded by what some consider to be a lesser deal -- the Treaty of Paris -- signed in April 1951 by the same six nations. This agreement led to the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community, a body that was created to oversee the production of steel and coal in all member nations and removed tariffs on products from these states.

It was the first move toward economic integration and thus started the process of building mutual trust among the former enemies. It is worth noting that this deal was signed just a short five years after the end of hostilities -- a blink of the eye in historic terms.

Turning back to the question of Japan and its sometimes uneasy ties with its neighbors, it may be a bit far-fetched to consider a similar route to integration in the region. To wit, steel production and the wave of global consolidation have been very much at the forefront of business news. The first edition of this column dealt with the now concluded Arcelor-Mittal deal, and the takeover fears it sparked among Japanese steelmakers.

Fast forward from that time nine months ago, and we can see increasing integration among Japan, China and Korea in this area. Nippon Steel, for example, has strengthened ties with China's Baosteel and Korean steel giant Posco. JFE Holdings this month announced it will join hands with Chin's Guangzhou Iron and Steel Enterprises to build a plant in China.

Given these and other moves, perhaps it is not so outlandish to propose a free-trade agreement restricted to the steel industry as an initial step toward broader integration in East Asia along the lines of the Treaty of Paris more than 50 years ago.

The 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is one that certainly merits celebration. It was an event that took a great deal of courage, hard work, imagination and compromise.

If one looks at the situation today, it is clear that qualities such as these are no less valuable or necessary. Perhaps all that is required is that first step.