The issue of whether a particular humanistic ideology is immanent in Esperanto has been a topic of controversy since the early days of the movement. The question is explored here on the basis of evidence drawn from discussions in Esperanto between Japanese and Koreans about reconciliation between their respective countries. It is concluded that, while the convictions of the language’s initiator are not universally shared among Esperanto speakers, one may legitimately speak of a common metacommunicative ideology which valorises dialogue among ordinary people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.