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Japan Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Ishiba faces political and diplomatic quandary ahead of WWII anniversary
As the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II draws closer, speculation has grown over the government's potential release of a statement regarding the war on Aug. 15 — the day when, in 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's unconditional surrender in the conflict. Questioned in parliament about the objective of a potential statement Monday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba avoided making any clear commitment. 'Instead of talking about my understanding of history, we should think about the nature of civilian control, learn the lessons of the prewar era and consider what is possible under our Constitution,' Ishiba said. Early media reports suggest Ishiba is expected to issue a message in a personal capacity, instead of an official statement formally rubber-stamped by the Cabinet. Previous administrations issued official statements in 1995, 2005, and 2015 to mark the 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries of the capitulation, respectively. Ishiba's uniquely reflective stance on the circumstances behind Japan's entry into the war had fueled speculation the government would follow the steps of previous administrations and put out a formal statement. On a March visit to the island of Iwo Jima — the theater of a fierce battle between Japan and the United States during the war — Ishiba dwelled on the importance of making sure such atrocities never happen again, especially amid fading collective memory. 'I want to think about what we can do now and what we have to consider to establish peace firmly, and to make Japan's independence and peace secure,' Ishiba told reporters on the island. Earlier this year, Ishiba was repeatedly questioned by reporters and opposition parties alike over the statement. A self-proclaimed geek of all things history and military, as well as a prolific essayist on defense matters, Ishiba has spent a long time musing over the war in his almost 40-year career in politics. He often quotes his political mentor, former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, who led the country from 1972 to 1974 and, in Ishiba's own words, once said: 'As long as the people who were in that war sit at the center of this country, we will be fine. But I'm afraid of the time when those people will be gone. That's why you all have to study a lot.' The quote also appears in Ishiba's latest book — the title of which loosely translates as 'A Conservative Politician: My Policies, My Fate' — published last August shortly before he rose to the country's leadership. In the book, experience of the war was framed as the cornerstone of Tanaka the politician. In the same volume, making an apparent reference to Japan's disastrous experience in the conflict, Ishiba meditates on how even nations can make mistakes and ultimately 'betray their people.' In March in a parliamentary debate with Nippon Ishin no Kai's Naoki Inose, a writer-turned-politician, Ishiba sang the praises of one of Inose's most famous works, "Showa 16-nen Natsu no Haisen," or "The War Defeat of Summer 1941." The essay is a nonfiction account of a group of elite bureaucrats who, in the summer of 1941, predicted Japan would have no chance in a potential war against the United States. Months later, Japan would attack Pearl Harbor, sparking a catastrophic clash with Washington. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) and other attendees offer flowers during a ceremony to pay respects to unidentified war dead from World War II at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery in Tokyo on May 26. | AFP-JIJI 'The value of that work is immortal,' Ishiba told Inose, adding he recommends it to anyone interested in security. A closer look at the fruit of Ishiba's vast reflection over World War II suggests the prime minister has given more thought to its endogenous conditions, rather than the outward expansion of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army and the invasion of the Asian continent. Still, opposition to any form of official reflection on the anniversary remains fierce. Last month, in a meeting with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, LDP Upper House lawmaker Shigeharu Aoyama urged the government to refrain from issuing a statement. 'There's a country in Japan's proximity seeking to use reflection on the war to make diplomatic gains,' said Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Tsuneo Kitamura as he questioned Ishiba Monday, in a not-so-veiled reference to China. 'We should refrain from any action that would give this country an opportunity to take advantage of us.' Kitamura went on to voice his support for the statement issued by the government of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war in 2015. That statement was ratified by Ishiba, himself, as a member of the Abe government. The Abe statement refers to the apologies for the crimes committed by Japan in the war expressed by past governments, saying they'll remain 'unshakable into the future.' However, it also famously said Japan should stop apologizing. 'We must not let our children, grandchildren and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologize,' reads Abe's statement. In a memoir published after his death, Abe justified this passage with the urgency to rectify what he called "the mistakes' of what is known as the Murayama statement — a document released by former socialist Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995, the 50th anniversary of the war. 'The issue with the Murayama Statement is that it apologizes on the premise that Japan committed a crime from a standpoint of good and evil. The state of the world at that time is completely overlooked,' Abe said in the memoir. The Murayama Statement stands as a formal apology directed at Japan's neighbors. In the document, Murayama expressed his deep remorse for Japan's behavior in those years. 'Through its colonial rule and aggression, [Japan] caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations.' As the first public expression of apologies over Japan's colonial past, the Murayama statement is seen as a milestone in Japan's history. Thirty years later, and less than two months ahead of an Upper House election seen as unfavorable to his LDP, Ishiba faces a dilemma. Any message could exacerbate the mistrust of the conservative wing of the LDP and further alienate right-leaning voters already wary of Ishiba. Failure to issue a statement, on the other hand, could prompt reactions from Japan's neighbors, namely China and South Korea — where, despite a recent tone-down in rhetoric, Tuesday's presidential election frontrunner Lee Jae-myung is known for his anti-Japan positions . Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, is also pushing for a formal pronouncement, in light of the current state of peace in the world. While difficult to predict at this stage, an electoral setback in the Upper House election could potentially force the prime minister to step down. Should that happen, it would fall to the next administration to address the issue — with the risk that any message may lose its significance or be diluted. Speaking at a party convention in March, Ishiba said, 'Once again, we shall learn from history with humility and realize that our peace was built on the noble sacrifice of many people.' Will Ishiba follow through on his reflection or, yet again, will he need to bow down to internal pressure?
Japan Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Remains of 368 Japanese war dead laid to rest in National Cemetery
The remains of 368 Japanese people were newly laid to rest in a memorial service in Tokyo on Monday at a national cemetery for unidentified people who died abroad during World War II. The remains were collected from locations including Ioto, a Pacific island widely known as Iwo Jima, Solomon Islands and Russia. The number of people laid to rest at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery now totals 371,008, including those who died after the war as detainees in Siberia. Of some 2.4 million Japanese people who died abroad during the war, the remains of 1.12 million have not been recovered 80 years after the end of the war. Some 400 people including bereaved family members attended Monday's ceremony, hosted by the welfare ministry. Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba were among them. In a speech, welfare minister Takamaro Fukuoka pledged to pass on lessons from the war to future generations so that it would not be repeated. The crown prince and the crown princess offered prayers and bereaved family members laid flowers. Of the remains brought back by then-Japanese troops or collected on government missions, those that remained unidentified or for which families were not found were laid to rest at the cemetery, built in 1959.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
El Pasoan serving in Atlantic during Navy exercise
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An El Pasoan is taking part in Naval exercises in the Atlantic Ocean while serving on the USS Iwo Jima, the U.S. Navy said in a news release issued Tuesday, April 1. Boatswain's Mate Seaman Diego Camacho, from El Paso, is assigned to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7). He is featured in a photo that the Navy sent out to media, where he is standing watch as a lookout while underway. Iwo Jima is conducting exercises designed to 'enhance warfighting effectiveness and interoperability as part of its advanced phase of training at sea,' the Navy said. Iwo Jima is the flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group which is 'uniquely positioned to deter aggression, project power through presence abroad, and execute contingency missions with its integrated Marine Corps team in support of U.S. strategic interests,' the Navy said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iwo Jima diversity row overshadows US-Japan commemoration weekend
A commemoration this Saturday, marking the 80th anniversary of Iwo Jima has been overshadowed by the removal of the battle's most iconic image from the Pentagon's website. The photograph, of six war-weary marines hoisting the US flag on Mount Suribachi, was deleted this month on the orders of Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, in an effort to erase all traces of the previous administration's policy of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The offending element was not the flag itself, but a description focusing on Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian and one of the six soldiers. Hayes became a symbol of the heroism of Native Americans during the war, which in the Battle of Iwo Jima was exemplified by Navajo code talkers. They are credited with securing strategic communications as 100,000 US troops stormed the positions of 22,000 Japanese imperial soldiers, who had built a complex system of tunnels and cave defences. Almost 7,000 Americans were killed, and only a thousand Japanese soldiers survived. During the battle, the Navajo code talkers sent over 800 messages, many of which were intercepted by Japanese intelligence. Before Pearl Harbour, Imperial Japan had in fact dispatched a team of agents to study Native American languages, well aware they had been used in the First World War to outwit Germany's high command. Navajo, however, due to its complexity and a code system based on some of its unique linguistic elements, proved impenetrable. Numerous articles dedicated to the service of the Navajo code talkers were also removed along with the famous image which has even been used on postal stamps. It is not known whether similar articles, still available on separate branches of the military will also be purged. John Ullyot, a Pentagon spokesman, has refused to backtrack, and praised his staff for their 'rapid compliance' with the directive. Amid a media backlash, however, and ahead of the commemorations this weekend, Donald Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation in support of the heroes of Iwo Jima. The commemorations, which Mr Hegseth will attend on the island this Saturday, will also provide the venue for tense security talks between the US and Japan, amid fears that Pax Americana, which has maintained order in the Asia Pacific for 80 years, is now unravelling. The sudden reversal in relations with Washington has surprised even Japan's most seasoned diplomats. Shigeru Ishiba, the prime minister, kept it simple during his high-stakes audience at the White House last month, when he pledged to invest $1 trillion to boost Trump's America First policy. The strategy appeared to pay off. A beaming president, well known for his love of big numbers, declared his full backing for existing US security guarantees, including for Japanese sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands. Those islands, also claimed by Beijing, are strategically located roughly 115 miles from Taiwan. In addition to reaffirming security guarantees, Mr Trump also declined to threaten his guest with the same punitive tariffs that he targeted at the EU and other allies. The omission was considered another diplomatic coup for Tokyo, and Mr Ishiba was feted as an unlikely hero. But since then relations have quickly soured, and the guarantees he received have begun to unravel. Following a similar playbook he used to attack Nato, the US president denounced the long-standing security treaty with Japan as 'unfair', and accused it of free-riding on US taxpayers. 'We have an interesting deal with Japan that we have to protect them, but they don't have to protect us,' Mr Trump said. 'That's the way the deal reads, we have to protect Japan, and by the way, they make a fortune with us economically.' In response to the attack on the treaty, China wasted no time dispatching four of its coastguard ships last week to contest the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands. Japan has in fact been the top foreign investor to the US for five consecutive years, and has created tens of thousands of jobs in Mr Trump's electoral strongholds. Toyota and Nissan alone are expected to complete new manufacturing plants in the US this year, and Tokyo is set to increase imports of American LNG to offset its current trade surplus. But in addition to tariffs on car imports which Mr Trump announced this week, Japan is facing a raft of additional measures targeting steel, aluminium, chips, the pharmaceutical sector, and even its small domestic rice growers. Known for their inscrutable approach to diplomacy, officials in Tokyo are hoping that the US president is simply posturing for a better deal that will ultimately bolster Japan's security. 'The fact is there is no trade win they can offer Trump, no matter how big, that will change the reality that the US is simply no longer committed to defending Japan or Taiwan,' Robert Dujarric, co-director of Temple University's Institute of Asian Studies in Tokyo, told The Telegraph. 'For Japan to take Trump at his word on security, is about as naive as believing he's a model husband and lifelong monogamist.' Leaks from the Pentagon have also revealed plans to scale back the much vaunted 'Pivot to Asia'. The geostrategic shift was cited by Me Trump as a reason for downgrading US military commitments to Nato, but the strategy could be deceptive. 'Starmer and Macron need to understand that the old world order is being dismantled everywhere,' said Mr Dujarric. 'Not just in their own backyard.' Tokyo has also been rattled by reports that Elon Musk is similarly pressuring for military downgrade. A self-proclaimed 'friend' of China, it is Mr Musk's department of government efficiency that is demanding $50 billion in cuts annually from the US defence budget. The Pentagon's change of tack could even affect the UK, as reforms planned under former president Biden would have enabled Japanese collaboration with Aukus. The trilateral agreement between UK, US, and Australia to build a fleet of nuclear attack submarines is being challenged by J D Vance, the US vice-president. Some form of Japanese participation could help secure the project's viability. Chinese ships finally left the waters around the Senkaku Islands this week after a record-breaking stand-off with the Japanese coastguard lasting almost four days. There is now a growing realisation in Tokyo that it needs to hedge not only against the risks of US isolationism, but Mr Trump's unpredictability. As if to highlight this point, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazil president, an anti-US firebrand and member of the Brics group, was welcomed on a state visit to Tokyo for security talks ahead of Mr Hegseth's arrival. 'Another option for Japan which is still taboo to talk about,' said Mr Dujarric. 'Is that if there's a risk Trump will cut a bad deal with [China president] Xi Jinping, and sell out your strategic sovereignty, you might as well get in there first, sell out Taiwan, and cut your own deal.' On the island of Iwo Jima this Saturday, diplomatic efforts to restore good relations will go into overdrive. The US defence secretary will meet veterans for a photo opportunity, and will even visit Mount Suribachi, where the victory flag was raised and famous photo taken. The battle itself has remained fresh in popular US memory thanks to two films directed by Clint Eastwood. The second film was shot entirely in Japanese, and from the perspective of the 'enemy'. Japanese diplomats will be hoping that Mr Hegseth, an outspoken champion of Mr Trump's America First policy, will also prove capable of viewing Asia-Pacific security from their perspective. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Pentagon cancels Iwo Jima heroes in Trump's war on diversity
A commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of Iwo Jima has been overshadowed by the removal of the battle's most iconic image from the Pentagon's website. The photograph, of six war-weary marines hoisting the US flag on Mount Suribachi, was deleted this month on the orders of Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, in an effort to erase all traces of the previous administration's policy of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The offending element was not the flag itself, but a description focusing on Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian and one of the six soldiers. Hayes became a symbol of the heroism of Native Americans during the war, which in the Battle of Iwo Jima was exemplified by Navajo code talkers. They are credited with securing strategic communications as 100,000 US troops stormed the positions of 22,000 Japanese imperial soldiers, who had built a complex system of tunnels and cave defences. Almost 7,000 Americans were killed, and only 1,000 Japanese soldiers survived. During the battle, the Navajo code talkers sent more than 800 messages, many of which were intercepted by Japanese intelligence. Before Pearl Harbour, Imperial Japan had in fact dispatched a team of agents to study Native American languages, well aware they had been used in the First World War to outwit Germany's high command. Navajo, however, due to its complexity and a code system based on some of its unique linguistic elements, proved impenetrable. Numerous articles dedicated to the service of the Navajo code talkers were also removed from the Pentagon website, along with the famous image which has even been used on postal stamps. John Ullyot, a Pentagon spokesman, has refused to backtrack, and praised his staff for their 'rapid compliance' with the directive. Amid a media backlash, however, and ahead of the commemorations this weekend, Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation in support of the heroes of Iwo Jima. The commemorations, which Mr Hegseth will attend on the island this Saturday, will also provide the venue for tense security talks between the US and Japan, amid fears that Pax Americana, which has maintained order in the Asia Pacific for 80 years, is now unravelling. The sudden reversal in relations with Washington has surprised even Japan's most seasoned diplomats. Shigeru Ishiba, the prime minister, kept it simple during his high-stakes audience at the White House last month, when he pledged to invest $1 trillion to boost Trump's America First policy. The strategy appeared to pay off. A beaming president, well known for his love of big numbers, declared his full backing for existing US security guarantees, including for Japanese sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands. Those islands, also claimed by Beijing, are strategically located roughly 115 miles from Taiwan. In addition to reaffirming security guarantees, Mr Trump also declined to threaten his guest with the same punitive tariffs that he targeted at the EU and other allies. The omission was considered another diplomatic coup for Tokyo, and Mr Ishiba was feted as an unlikely hero. But since then, relations have quickly soured, and the guarantees he received have begun to unravel. Following a similar playbook he used to attack Nato, the US president denounced the long-standing security treaty with Japan as 'unfair', and accused it of free-riding on US taxpayers. 'We have an interesting deal with Japan that we have to protect them, but they don't have to protect us,' Mr Trump said. 'That's the way the deal reads, we have to protect Japan, and by the way, they make a fortune with us economically.' In response to the attack on the treaty, China wasted no time dispatching four of its coastguard ships last week to contest the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands. Japan has in fact been the top foreign investor to the US for five consecutive years, and has created tens of thousands of jobs in Mr Trump's electoral strongholds. Toyota and Nissan alone are expected to complete new manufacturing plants in the US this year, and Tokyo is set to increase imports of American LNG to offset its current trade surplus. But in addition to tariffs on car imports which Mr Trump announced this week, Japan is facing a raft of additional measures targeting steel, aluminium, computer chips, the pharmaceutical sector, and even its small domestic rice growers. 'To take Trump at his word is naive' Known for their inscrutable approach to diplomacy, officials in Tokyo are hoping that the US president is simply posturing for a better deal that will ultimately bolster Japan's security. 'The fact is there is no trade win they can offer Trump, no matter how big, that will change the reality that the US is simply no longer committed to defending Japan or Taiwan,' Robert Dujarric, co-director of Temple University's Institute of Asian Studies in Tokyo, told The Telegraph. 'For Japan to take Trump at his word on security is about as naive as believing he's a model husband and lifelong monogamist.' Leaks from the Pentagon have also revealed plans to scale back the much vaunted 'pivot to Asia'. The geostrategic shift was cited by Mr Trump as a reason for downgrading US military commitments to Nato, but the strategy could be deceptive. '[Sir Keir] Starmer and [Emmanuel] Macron need to understand that the old world order is being dismantled everywhere,' said Mr Dujarric. 'Not just in their own backyard.' Tokyo has also been rattled by reports that Elon Musk is pressuring for military downgrade. A self-proclaimed 'friend' of China, it is Mr Musk's department of government efficiency that is demanding $50 billion in cuts annually from the US defence budget. Efforts to restore good relations will go into overdrive The Pentagon's change of tack could even affect the UK, as reforms planned under former president Biden would have enabled Japanese collaboration with Aukus. The trilateral agreement between UK, US, and Australia to build a fleet of nuclear attack submarines is being challenged by J D Vance, the US vice-president. Some form of Japanese participation could help secure the project's viability. Chinese ships finally left the waters around the Senkaku Islands this week after a record-breaking stand-off with the Japanese coastguard lasting almost four days. There is now a growing realisation in Tokyo that it needs to hedge not only against the risks of US isolationism but Mr Trump's unpredictability. As if to highlight this point, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, an anti-US firebrand and member of the Brics group, was welcomed on a state visit to Tokyo for security talks ahead of Mr Hegseth's arrival. 'Another option for Japan which is still taboo to talk about,' said Mr Dujarric, 'is that if there's a risk Trump will cut a bad deal with [China president] Xi Jinping, and sell out your strategic sovereignty, you might as well get in there first, sell out Taiwan, and cut your own deal.' On the island of Iwo Jima this Saturday, diplomatic efforts to restore good relations will go into overdrive. The US defence secretary will meet veterans for a photo opportunity, and visit Mount Suribachi, where the victory flag was raised and famous photo taken. The battle itself has remained fresh in popular US memory thanks to two films directed by Clint Eastwood. The second film was shot entirely in Japanese, and from the perspective of the 'enemy'. Japanese diplomats will be hoping that Mr Hegseth, an outspoken champion of Mr Trump's America First policy, will also prove capable of viewing Asia-Pacific security from their perspective.
