A project to rewrite traditional viewpoint of Japanese Prime
Minister on recognition of past war is waning. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
revealed his negative opinion in delivering Prime Minister’s statement at the
seventieth anniversary from the end of World War II, if it would be making no
difference from former statements. Skepticisms not only from China or South
Korea, but from United States deterred Abe taking political adventure of
revising history the world had already embraced.
In a satellite TV program of Fuji Television, Abe reiterated
that he wanted to release his original idea on World War II, not just
succeeding the official statement of former Prime Ministers. He raised
reflection on the war, progress as a peaceful nation, determination for
contributing peace for region or the world and how Japan would be for the
future as the important elements in the statement. “How my idea makes
difference is important,” told Abe, “If it is saying the same old things, the
statement will be unnecessary. It will be a story about copying and delivering,
or renaming.”
In January 2013, less than one month from the beginning of the
second Abe Cabinet, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, announced that Abe
would be delivering Abe statement at the seventieth anniversary in 2015. That
was an idea of overwriting Murayama Statement in 1995, which admitted Japan’s
colonial rule in Asia and expressed deep remorse and apology. Suga told that
Abe Statement would be future-looking and fitting the twenty-first century.
As reaching the anniversary in this summer, China frequently
requested Abe Statement to follow the viewpoint of former Premiers, indicating
a possibility of making this issue another trouble in East Asia. U.S. responded
to this issue to avoid unnecessary instability in the region. The true reason
for U.S. Congress, supposing Chinese possible reaction against boasting of
Japanese Prime Minister, to accept Abe’s request to have a speech at Joint
Session was to contain Abe’s interpretation of history within the concept of
former ones.
Realized as a troublemaker in Northeast Asia even by an
important ally, Abe is having lesser options in his agenda. He reluctantly met
with Governor of Okinawa to demonstrate his effort to improve the relationship
between Tokyo and Okinawa. It was likely that he felt the frustration of
Washington with no progress in relocation of U.S. Marine Airbase in Futenma.
Government of Japan still discusses Trans-Pacific Partnership not in the
context of geopolitics, but protecting national interest in free-trade
framework. Under the leadership of a historical revisionist closing eyes to the
world, Japan is becoming a beast of burden.
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