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Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Ishiba's deep interest in war, security reflected in Aug. 15 speech
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba listens to an explanation while visiting Iwoto island in March. (Pool) Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's use of the word 'remorse' in his speech marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II was notable for two key reasons. It revived a tone that was dropped 13 years ago in statements issued each Aug. 15 by his predecessors and reflected his abiding interest in war-related issues. Ishiba, who is 68 and a former defense minister, often told close associates that this anniversary will almost certainly be the last major milestone year before the war generation fades into history. In visits overseas as well as domestically, Ishiba has made it a point to visit sites closely linked with the war. For example, he took a two-hour drive on April 30 to the suburbs of Manila to visit a monument to Japanese who died in the Philippines during the fighting. He was the first prime minister to visit the site. Touching upon the fact the monument is in an isolated location, Ishiba told his associates, 'Consideration likely had to be made for anti-Japanese sentiment' in light of the 1.11 million local residents who perished in the fighting. Japan occupied the Philippines during the war. While Japan now enjoys friendly ties with the Philippines, Ishiba has said, 'We must not only view the history that is convenient for us.' Domestically, Ishiba visited Iwoto island in March. Formerly known as Iwojima, it was the site of fierce fighting during the war. In June, Ishiba visited the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Okinawa Prefecture, where one-quarter of the civilian population perished in the battle that raged there in 1945. Ishiba at one time, according to government sources, wanted to become the first prime minister to visit the island of Peleliu in Palau where about 10,000 Imperial Japanese Army soldiers died. But that trip never got off the ground. He has written that the catalyst for his stance to squarely face history was a meeting he had with Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister. Ishiba recalled he was at a loss for words when Lee asked him if he knew what Japan did when it occupied Singapore during the war. Lee reminded Ishiba that even though Japanese may forget what took place, the people of Singapore will never forget. Ishiba wrote that he took home from that experience the fact that even though the aggressor in war may forget as time passes, the victims will never forget. Because of his long interest in national security issues, Ishiba has sought to gain better insights on Japan's push to wage war all those decades ago. Prior to Japan's Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, younger elite bureaucrats, military officers and businessmen took part in a simulation exercise to gauge possible outcomes if Japan declared war against the United States. The conclusion was that defeat was inevitable, but that did not stop the top brass from blindly forging ahead. Ishiba told his associates, 'Such a tragedy will arise if civilian control over the military is insufficient.' Despite his strong interest in war issues, Ishiba did not issue a personal message on Aug. 15 that reflected his own thoughts. With the calls from within the Liberal Democratic Party for Ishiba to step down to take responsibility for the disastrous showing in the July Upper House election, he likely did not want to antagonize conservative elements in the party. Instead, Ishiba chose to include for the first time in 13 years the word remorse in his speech at the Aug. 15 ceremony. He confided to associates that he had many things he wanted to talk about but realized the speech would go on far too long if he raised the issue of historical understanding.
Asahi Shimbun
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Ishiba decries civilian deaths at Okinawa memorial for slain nurses
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba tours the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, guided by the museum's director, Chokei Futenma, on June 23. (Pool) ITOMAN, Okinawa Prefecture—In a rare move, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited the Himeyuri-no-to memorial here on June 23 as part of events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa. He is the first sitting prime minister in 30 years to visit the memorial on the anniversary day since Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama did so in 1995. But Ishiba's visit follows another highly unusual move by ruling party lawmaker Shoji Nishida to denigrate the Himeyuri-no-to memorial, which commemorates 227 people, mainly student nurses, who were killed in the battle. Nishida said the memorial was 'terrible' and distorted history. Ishiba was asked by a reporter if he visited the facility because of Nishida's offensive remarks, but the prime minister did not mention the lawmaker by name. However, a source close to Ishiba said, 'After the issue with Nishida, (Ishiba) could not avoid visiting the Himeyuri-no-to memorial.' Ishiba stopped by at the site after attending a ceremony memorializing victims of the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. He placed flowers on the altar and held a silent prayer for about five seconds, bowing his head in respect. He also visited the adjacent Himeyuri Peace Museum, which exhibits video testimonies and photos to convey the realities of the Battle of Okinawa and the state of education that sent students to the battlefield. 'I really wanted to be here,' Ishiba told reporters. 'The desire that there should be no more wars and the tragedy of war … I have come here with the thought that I must engrave them on my heart once again.' The Himeyuri (star lily) Student Corps, consisting of girls from two schools in Okinawa Prefecture, were mobilized as nursing personnel for the bloodiest battle of the Pacific theater of World War II. Nishida, an Upper House member of the Liberal Democratic Party, made the disparaging remarks about the Himeyuri memorial at a symposium held in the Okinawa prefectural capital of Naha in May. Behind his remarks were his claims that education in Okinawa Prefecture has distorted history, such as portraying U.S. troops as liberators. Nishida was harshly criticized, especially by those who survived the battle, as 'not understanding the reality of the situation.' The Okinawa prefectural assembly passed a protest resolution demanding an apology and a retraction. Opposition parties and also members of the LDP joined in the criticism. Ishiba stated in the Diet that he and Nishida have different understandings about the battle. The prime minister also apologized as the head of the LDP to Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki. Nishida himself apologized and partially retracted his remarks about the Himeyuri memorial, but local anger has not abated. By visiting the site himself, Ishiba wanted to clearly demonstrate once again that he was not in agreement with Nishida's remarks, sources said. 'The lesson that civilians should never be placed on the battlefield must continue to be taught,' Ishiba said. More than 200,000 people from both the Japanese and U.S. sides, including tens of thousands of civilians, died in the Battle of Okinawa. The island prefecture today continues to host around 70 percent of U.S. military facilities in Japan. Residents have long complained about the noise, accidents and crimes stemming from U.S. bases. The prefecture is demanding revisions of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which critics say is 'unequal,' particularly concerning accidents and crimes involving U.S. military personnel. 'We have to seriously tackle this issue,' Ishiba said on June 23. 'I would like to compare and contrast (agreements) in other countries and promote discussions in the entire political arena.' Regarding the relocation of the U.S. Futenma Air Station in Ginowan in Okinawa Prefecture to the Henoko district in Nago, also in the prefecture, Ishiba has set up a forum for direct discussions with Ginowan city officials. By doing so, he has made clear he will push ahead with the relocation project without the prefecture, which opposes it. (This article was written by Kae Kawashima, Kazuyuki Ito and Kazuki Uechi.)
Asahi Shimbun
23-06-2025
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Himeyuri Student Corps survivors pass on cruelty of war
The Himeyuri-no-to memorial in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, stands on top of a natural cave where many girls of the Himeyuri Student Corps were buried after the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. The Himeyuri Peace Museum is seen in the back left. (Kazuyuki Ito) Why didn't they flee? That question was often asked by visitors unfamiliar with the 1945 Battle of Okinawa when the Himeyuri Peace Museum first opened 36 years ago. The Himeyuri Student Corps—comprised of students age 15 to 19 from two local girls' schools and their teachers—had been mobilized as nursing aides during the Pacific War's bloodiest battle. Swept up in the chaos, they were later disbanded by military order, left to wander the battlefield with no shelter, and many lost their lives. From elementary school, these students had been steeped in militaristic education. The notion of defying orders or fleeing conscription simply never entered their minds. When the military abandoned them, there was nowhere left to run. Survivors of the corps have spent decades bearing witness, determined to convey the harrowing realities they endured. They speak not only for themselves, but for the classmates who never made it home. In a commemorative publication released in 2010, Tsuru Motomura (1925–2023), a survivor of the student corps and former director of the Himeyuri Peace Museum, who died two years ago at the age of 97, reflected with others on their shared commitment to passing the memory of the war on to future generations. As part of that effort, they visited Takeshi Nakatani, the sole official Japanese-speaking guide at Poland's Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, which is dedicated to educating visitors about the Nazi death camps. They were deeply moved by his words. It was through this encounter that they realized: Even without having lived through such atrocities, one can still bear witness. That understanding gave them the resolve to entrust the mission of remembrance to those who would follow. June 23 is Okinawa Memorial Day, a commemorative date established by Okinawa Prefecture to honor those who perished in the Battle of Okinawa. Now, 80 years after the brutal conflict, a vital question remains: How can we ensure the memory of the Himeyuri tragedy is carried forward? So long as the stories are told, future generations can grasp the true face of war—and imagine that it is ordinary people who are caught in its path and sacrificed. Coincidentally, on June 22, Japan time, the U.S. military announced it had conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. Watching U.S. President Donald Trump boast of the strikes as a 'spectacular military success,' I did not think that he saw the people who have gotten caught up. We owe thanks to the survivors of Himeyuri. Because they shared their stories, we can imagine what it was like for those who lived through war. And we are able, once again, to renew our resolve that this must never be repeated. —The Asahi Shimbun, June 23 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Asahi Shimbun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Latest twisting of WWII history adds to recent revisionist trend
The Himeyuri-no-to memorial in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, stands on top of a natural cave where many girls of the Himeyuri Student Corps were buried after the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. The Himeyuri Peace Museum is seen in the back left. (Kazuyuki Ito) Shoji Nishida, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the Upper House, has criticized Himeyuri-no-to, a memorial in Okinawa Prefecture dedicated to war victims from the Himeyuri Student Corps. It comprised a group of students, ages 15 to 19, from two local girls' schools and their teachers who were mobilized as nursing aides during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. Reflecting on a past visit, Nishida asserted that the memorial presented a narrative suggesting, 'The Japanese army kept coming in, and the Himeyuri (star lily) unit ended up dying. Then, the Americans came in and liberated Okinawa.' He condemned this portrayal as a revision of history. Yet, is it not Nishida himself who is attempting to rewrite history? Neither the Himeyuri Peace Museum, a memorial museum dedicated to preserving the history and experiences of the student corps, nor the cenotaph contains such crude or simplistic descriptions. During the Battle of Okinawa—the bloodiest conflict in the Pacific theater—the Japanese military, having already lost any realistic chance of victory, mounted an all-out defense, vowing to 'fight as long as even an inch of land remained.' There is no denying that this stance led to the deaths of countless civilians. While some survivors of the gruesome ground battle were rescued by the invading U.S. military, receiving medical care, water and food, a closer look at history reveals the immense suffering endured by the people of Okinawa under decades of U.S. military rule after the war. Were they truly praising the Americans as 'liberators'? Okinawa has long been a focal point for those seeking to distort Japan's wartime history to suit their own narratives. In recent years, arguments denying that the ground battle in Okinawa served as a 'sacrificial stone' to shield the Japanese mainland have gained traction. Nishida's challenge to the prevailing interpretation of the battle appears to align with this broader revisionist trend. Yet in Okinawa, the lessons of war have been shared across ideological divides. The local LDP chapter's opposition to Nishida's remarks stands as evidence of this commitment to historical integrity. The ruling party lawmaker has acknowledged visiting the Himeyuri-no-to memorial more than 20 years ago. Were he to walk through the museum exhibits today, he would find himself in a room where the names and photographs of 227 student nurses and teachers who perished in the final months of the war solemnly stare back at him. What might they be trying to tell us? He would do well to listen—quietly and attentively. —The Asahi Shimbun, May 9 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
