Basis of Credibility

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was considering how he would express his own interpretation on post-war history of Japan, a former Premier who had deeply considered his statement at the fiftieth anniversary from the end of World War II spoke out his conviction on history. Former Prime Minister Tomi-ichi Murayama emphasized that his Murayama Statement received overwhelming approval from the world. It was not easy for a defeated nation to regain its credibility in international community. Abe is breaking down that credibility Japan earned with a great perseverance.

In the interviews to Asahi and Tokyo Shimbun, Murayama maintained his skepticism on the handling of history issues in Abe administration. “While he established a consultative committee of experts, Prime Minister Abe seemed to have a sentiment that he would not like to touch on colonial rule or apology described in Murayama Statement,” told Murayama.

At the time Murayama delivered his statement in August, 1995, Liberal Democratic Party was in the leading coalition with Social Democratic Party, sending Ministers to the Cabinet. Murayama revealed that there was no negative response on his statement from LDP. Even Ryutaro Hashimoto, then Minister of Trade and Industry and the President of Japan War-Bereaved Families Association, agreed on it. “It was the first recognition and official apology for past faults as Japanese Cabinet,” said Murayama, “Cabinets succeeded it later and the world was satisfied with it. People in China or South Korea told that they could make better environment with Japan based on mutual credibility.”

Murayama raised some evidences, which caused improvement of bilateral relationship with China or South Korea after Murayama Statement had been delivered. They included a speech of Chinese President Hu Jintao at Waseda University in 2008, in which Hu told Japan’s effort for friendly relationship with China was eternally engraved in his heart. Murayama also revealed his idea that his statement had been succeeded in the Joint Declaration of Japan and South Korea in 1998.

Nevertheless, Abe has shown no intention to succeed the keywords of Murayama Statement. One of his close aids, Shin-ichi Kitaoka, told that he wanted let Abe include the recognition of aggression in Abe Statement this summer. Although Kitaoka’s idea was mostly regarded as a positive attempt for better relationship with the neighbors, it was too common for historians that the war was aggression by Japan. No one denies that. The point is whether Abe will sincerely recognize the mistaken policy and apologize about it.