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Japan Forward
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Ishiba Should Resign First Before Commenting on History
このページを 日本語 で読む August 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Especially now, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba should avoid expressing views that could encourage anti-Japan propaganda in China and other countries. The Prime Minister should, however, visit Yasukuni Shrine. There, he can pay tribute to and honor the souls of those who gave their lives to protect Japan. Then, he should announce his resignation, respecting the verdict delivered by the public in the recent Upper House election. During the August 4 Lower House Budget Committee session, Ishiba indicated his desire to offer his views on the Pacific War. At one point, he stated, "Regardless of the form it takes, it is absolutely necessary to issue some statement in order to prevent it (history) from being forgotten." He thereby signaled his interest in presenting his views on the last war. During his January 6 press conference, Ishiba also referred to then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's statement marking the 70th anniversary of the war's end. He then added, "I would like to present a statement in which I consider how we can create a system to ensure that war never occurs again." Entrance to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. China is ruled by a dictatorship of the Chinese Communist Party. As the war's end anniversary approaches, anti-Japan sentiment is on the rise. A mammoth military parade is planned in central Beijing on September 3. It would commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in what China calls the "War of Resistance against Japan." Prime Minister Ishiba has a one-sided, masochistic view of history, viewing Japan as the aggressor in the conflict. If the Prime Minister goes ahead and expresses such views, regardless of the timing or format, it could lend momentum to anti-Japan propaganda by China, South Korea, and North Korea and risk injury to Japanese citizens. Japanese Woman Attacked in China While Walking with Child It would also encourage left-wing forces both at home and abroad. PM Abe's postwar 70th anniversary speech had some shortcomings. For example, it failed to mention that one of Japan's aims in the war was to eliminate racial discrimination. Even though that was the case, Abe did stress that Japan must continue on the path of a proactive contributor to peace. But at the same time, he showed strong awareness of the need to reject never-ending self-abuse, saying: "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." If Prime Minister Ishiba goes ahead and presents his own "views," it will trample on all the hard work Abe put into the 70th anniversary statement. That, in turn, could cause significant harm to Japan's reputation and national interest. Furthermore, there has been no tradition of issuing new statements every 10 years among prime ministers in the postwar era. Half a century after the end of the war, then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama of the Japan Socialist Party issued a speech marking the 50th anniversary of the war's end. That speech then became a significant political problem. Our current prime minister cannot escape criticism for his irresponsibility after expressing his intention not to resign despite failing to win public support in two national elections. What weight would such a prime minister's words carry after all? If Mr Ishiba is really determined to express his views on this matter, he should do so to his heart's content after he resigns. Then, he can air his personal, masochistic perspective on history without restraint. Whether the Japanese public accepts his views is another matter entirely. Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Asahi Shimbun
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Ishiba disagrees with embattled LDP lawmaker's view on Okinawa
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers a question from Akira Nagatsuma of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on May 12. (Koichi Ueda) Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on May 12 said he disagrees with Upper House lawmaker Shoji Nishida, who sparked outrage by disparaging a war memorial and claiming education about the Battle of Okinawa is 'distorted.' 'I have a different perception,' Ishiba said at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting, responding to a question from Akira Nagatsuma, a lawmaker of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. 'I have a strong feeling that the Battle of Okinawa is the starting point (for the issue of) how to keep civilians out of the battlefield,' the prime minister said. Nishida, a member of Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said in a speech at a symposium held in Naha on May 3 that the Himeyuri-no-to, a memorial dedicated to more than 200 student nurses and teachers killed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, was 'terrible' and an example of 'rewriting history.' He claimed the memorial, located in Itoman city in the prefecture, and history education in Okinawa wrongly imply that the Japanese military's presence led to the deaths of the nurses, and that the Americans 'liberated' the prefecture. After his remarks were widely panned, Nishida held a news conference on May 9 and apologized for hurting the feelings of the Okinawan people. 'It was highly inappropriate to invoke the name of the Himeyuri-no-to memorial without proper explanation,' he said. However, he said he would not retract his broader critique of Okinawa's history education, including its interpretation of the ground battle. Criticism of Nishida's comments has been voiced not only by the people of Okinawa and opposition parties, but also from within the LDP. Yuko Obuchi, chairperson of LDP's Research Commission for the Promotion and Development of Okinawa, said at a meeting in Naha on May 11 that Nishida's remarks 'are very thoughtless and lack knowledge.'
Japan Times
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Ishiba aims to get assurances from Trump over Senkaku Islands
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the Lower House Budget Committee on Friday that, when he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump, he will get confirmation that Japan's security treaty with the United States covers the defense of the Senkaku Islands, which are also claimed by China. Ishiba also said he intends to seek assistance from Trump in resolving the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea decades ago. 'We have to confirm that the territorial issue and the abduction issue are both national sovereignty issues,' Ishiba said at the committee's first session.
