Japan’s Abe to include word ‘apology’ in second world war anniversary speech

Their report, meant to serve as reference for Abe’s statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, covered more than 100 years of history in 38 pages.

“While it appears that Mr Abe is considering the inclusion of such key words in an attempt to pre-empt criticism both at home and from overseas, it seems possible, perhaps even probable, that he will significantly alter the context in which these words are used from the Murayama statement”, said Sophia University political science professor Koichi Nakano.

“And history will judge him fairly”, wrote the Global Times.The China Daily warned that “tensions will escalate” if Mr Abe’s speech “defies the calls for repentance and apology for Japan’s past aggression”.

Much is riding on what Abe says, and doesn’t say, as South Korea and China are especially sensitive to any perceived backsliding on Japan’s war responsibility and contrition.

The report by the Advisory Panel on the History of the 20th Century and on Japan’s Role and the World Order in the 21st Century, also made a positive assessment of postwar Japan in consideration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s resolve to issue a future-oriented 70th anniversary statement.

That has set alarm bells ringing in China and Korea, which suffered under Japan’s imperial expansion and are angered by any move to tone down apologies by previous leaders.

Park also pressed Japan to address the issue of the elderly Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japan’s World War II soldiers ― one of the knottiest issues. But panel Deputy Chairman Shinichi Kitaoka said at a news conference on August 6 that the panel never thought of changing the text due to dissenting viewpoints.

In the 1995 statement, signed by Murayama and approved by his Cabinet, Japan offered its clearest and most extensive apology to war victims. He is the editor of Natural Disaster and Nuclear Crisis in Japan: Response and Recovery after Japan’s 3/11, Routledge 2012 and Critical Issues in Contemporary Japan, Routledge 2014 and Asian Nationalism Reconsidered (Routledge 2015), and author of Contemporary Japan.

The report contradicted earlier coverage by Japanese national newspaper Asahi Shimbun that said the draft of Abe’s statement does not include the word “apology” to Asian countries, which was included in two past landmark statements, according to the draft that he showed the executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and junior coalition partner Komeito. The report asks the South Korean government to work with Japan to achieve eternal reconciliation.

Abe has said he will not necessarily stand by the Murayama statement, although he later promised to keep it when China and South Korea protested.

The conservative prime minister faces a challenging balancing act with his anniversary speech. The optimism contrasts with the view on steel mills in China, India and South Korea, where foreign exchange has not been as favourable.

Taizo Nishimuro, panel chairman and president of Japan Post Holdings Co.