February 26, 2015
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s policy chief said on February 25 in a TV interview that so-called “comfort women” were not “forced” to serve the Japanese military during World War II.
Inada Tomomi, chair of the Policy Research Council of the LDP, made this remark when asked about a new statement which Prime Minister Abe Shinzo plans to issue in August to mark the 70th anniversary following the war end. Noting that it is the prime minister who takes responsibility for the statement, she said that the new one may not include such key words as “colonial rule” and “aggression”, which are incorporated in the 1995 statement by then Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi.
Questioned about the recognition of the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals, Inada said that Article 11 of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which Japan signed in 1951, accepts the principal text of the tribunal decision but did not go so far as to acknowledge the reasons for the judgment.
Her claim indicates that Japan just accepted the “main part” of the decision which sentenced to death Japanese war leaders including Tojo Hideki, but refused to admit to the fact that Japan wreaked terrible havoc on other Asian countries. This is tantamount to denying the true nature of Japan’s war of aggression.
On February 11, Inada attended an assembly to commemorate National Foundation Day which was held in Hiroshima Prefecture by the right-wing organization Japan Conference. She stressed in her speech, “Let’s free ourselves from the Tokyo Tribunal-centered view by showing Japan’s tough stance against malicious slanders from foreign nations.”
Inada’s understanding of Japan’s history will undermine the very foundation of the postwar international order as well as even create friction with Japan’s closest ally, the United States.
Past related article:
> Abe shows his desire to rewrite previous gov’t statement on past war of aggression [January 12, 2015]
Inada Tomomi, chair of the Policy Research Council of the LDP, made this remark when asked about a new statement which Prime Minister Abe Shinzo plans to issue in August to mark the 70th anniversary following the war end. Noting that it is the prime minister who takes responsibility for the statement, she said that the new one may not include such key words as “colonial rule” and “aggression”, which are incorporated in the 1995 statement by then Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi.
Questioned about the recognition of the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals, Inada said that Article 11 of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which Japan signed in 1951, accepts the principal text of the tribunal decision but did not go so far as to acknowledge the reasons for the judgment.
Her claim indicates that Japan just accepted the “main part” of the decision which sentenced to death Japanese war leaders including Tojo Hideki, but refused to admit to the fact that Japan wreaked terrible havoc on other Asian countries. This is tantamount to denying the true nature of Japan’s war of aggression.
On February 11, Inada attended an assembly to commemorate National Foundation Day which was held in Hiroshima Prefecture by the right-wing organization Japan Conference. She stressed in her speech, “Let’s free ourselves from the Tokyo Tribunal-centered view by showing Japan’s tough stance against malicious slanders from foreign nations.”
Inada’s understanding of Japan’s history will undermine the very foundation of the postwar international order as well as even create friction with Japan’s closest ally, the United States.
Past related article:
> Abe shows his desire to rewrite previous gov’t statement on past war of aggression [January 12, 2015]
