Japan's Former PM Tomiichi Murayama Passes Away at 101

Tokyo, Oct 17 (AP) Japan's former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, famed for his 1995 "Murayama statement" apologizing to Asian nations affected by Japan's wartime aggression, passed away on Friday at the age of 101. Murayama died in a hospital in his hometown of Oita, located in southwestern Japan, according to a statement by Mizuho Fukushima, head of Japan's Social Democratic Party.

Murayama led a coalition government from June 1994 to January 1996 as the head of what was then known as the Japan Socialist Party. He is most remembered for issuing the "Murayama statement" on the 50th anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II on Aug. 15, 1995. This statement is considered Japan's main expression of remorse for its wartime and colonial actions.

"During a certain period in the not too distant past, Japan, following a mistaken national policy, advanced along the road to war... and, through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations," Murayama stated. "In the hope that no such mistake be made in the future, I regard, in a spirit of humility, these irrefutable facts of history, and express here once again my feelings of deep remorse and state my heartfelt apology."

His tenure was marked by controversies and significant challenges. Murayama was first elected to parliament in 1972 as a socialist lawmaker after working in a labor union and serving in a local assembly. Upon becoming prime minister in 1994, he broke with his party's stance against the Japan-US security alliance and Japan's Self-Defense Forces, recognizing them as constitutional, despite opposition within his party.

In 1995, Murayama faced two major crises: a devastating earthquake in Kobe that claimed over 6,400 lives, and a deadly gas attack in a Tokyo subway that killed 13 and injured more than 6,000. His administration was criticized for its slow response to these disasters.

He unexpectedly resigned early in 1996, saying he had accomplished what he could in a year that marked the 50th anniversary of the war's end. His decision, he noted, was made while contemplating under the new year's sky.

Murayama continued to be politically active even after his retirement in 2000, frequently criticizing nationalist successors for distancing Japan from its wartime culpability. The "Murayama statement" set a precedent for nearly two decades until nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ceased apologizing in 2013, with members of the Liberal Democratic Party asserting that such admissions interfered with national pride. This included Abe's protege, Sanae Takaichi, who recently became the party leader and is set to become the prime minister next week.

Murayama also criticized the Japanese government's reluctance to acknowledge forced prostitution of Asian women by the Japanese army during World War II. He stated in 2020, "A historical view saying Japan's war was not aggression, or calling it justice or liberation from colonialism, is absolutely unacceptable not only in China, South Korea or other Asian countries but also in America and Europe." He emphasized the importance of Japan establishing a lasting friendship with China, highlighting the tremendous damage caused by Japan's past war of aggression. "To build peace and stability in Asia, we must foster stable political, economic, and cultural interactions and development," he asserted. (AP) SKS SKS

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