Ishiba Issues 80th Anniversary Message Despite Conservative Opposition: "Inheriting Historical Perspective"

Yonhap News Agency

On October 10, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a personal message to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

According to Kyodo News, Prime Minister Ishiba, in his "Reflections on 80 Years After the War" released at a press conference held at the Prime Minister's Office, stated, "Based on the statements made by previous prime ministers for the 50th, 60th, and 70th anniversaries after the war, my historical perspective inherits the positions of past cabinets."

While he pledged to deeply reflect on and learn from the lessons of World War II, he did not repeatedly mention the deep remorse and sincere apologies for colonial rule that were included in previous statements. In addition, this message did not include any references to neighboring countries such as South Korea and China.

In response to questions from reporters, Prime Minister Ishiba said, "I have simply inherited the sentiments of reflection and apology expressed in previous statements; nothing new has been added."

Meanwhile, the conservative faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has pressured Prime Minister Ishiba, arguing that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's 2015 statement settled historical issues and that no further statements or messages are necessary. In particular, Sanae Takaichi, the newly appointed president of the Liberal Democratic Party known for her hardline conservative stance, commented on September 25, "The 70th anniversary statement after the war was truly forward-looking and the best. There is no need for any message beyond that."

In his message, Prime Minister Ishiba devoted most of his analysis to five themes regarding why the Japanese government at the time failed to prevent the war: the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, the government, the parliament, the media, and information gathering and analysis. He pointed out that, prior to the war, there was no system under the constitution to properly integrate politics and the military, and that there was no "civilian control" where political leaders could oversee the military.

He also emphasized, "Politicians should have pride and a sense of responsibility, not be swayed by irresponsible populism, and not simply follow the prevailing trends. We must not repeat a history in which emotional judgments are prioritized over calm and rational decisions, leading the country to choose the wrong path."

Since 1995, Japanese prime ministers have issued statements around August 15, the anniversary of Japan's defeat, every ten years. Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama expressed remorse and apologies for colonial rule in his 50th anniversary statement, and former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi did the same in his 60th anniversary statement. In his 70th anniversary statement, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, "Our country has repeatedly expressed deep remorse and heartfelt apologies for its actions during the last war," expressing apology in the past tense and stating that future generations would not be burdened with the responsibility to continue apologizing.

Meanwhile, unlike previous statements that were adopted by the Cabinet, this message reflected only the personal position of the prime minister and was written in seven pages of A4 paper, totaling 6,000 characters.