Japan Press Weekly

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2017 June 7 - 13 [POLITICS]

Defense Minister Inada in magazine denies historical viewpoint rooted in Tokyo war crimes trial

It has come to light that Defense Minister Inada Tomomi contributed to the latest issue of a conservative magazine an article insisting on the need to conquer the historical view centered on the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals.

What Inada advocates is tantamount to an argument denying the validity of the Tokyo war crimes trial held after WWII. Such an argument will be unacceptable for Asian countries victimized by Japan’s war of aggression as well as for the international community. It also conflicts with the Japanese government’s conventional stance conceding to the validity of the Tokyo Tribunal Judgement.

Before assuming office as Defense Minister, Inada in January 2015 at a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting proclaimed that Japan should depart from the historical perspective based on the Tokyo Tribunal. Inada, an advocate of an argument which will not only come under fire from the international community but which also challenges the government stance, has no qualification to be a Cabinet minister.

Inada’s article appeared in the July issue of the monthly magazine Hanada along with essays commemorating the late Watanabe Shoichi, a famous rightist leader and English scholar.

In her article, Inada quoted Watanabe as saying, “The most necessary thing that Japanese politicians should have is courage based on the intellectual ability to smash the historical view centered on the Tokyo Trials.”

Inada wrote, “As Watanabe said, in order to conquer the Tokyo Trial view of history, it is important for us to adopt a stance pursing objective facts by getting rid of stereotypes.”

The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo Tribunal, tried wartime Japan’s leaders who were in charge of waging the war of aggression and were convicted as Class-A war criminals. They received severe sentences, including the death sentence. The Japanese government accepted the tribunal judgement under the San Francisco Peace Treaty.

Past related articles:
> Far-rightist Inada assumes office as Defense Minister [August 4, 2016]
> Japan’s wartime ‘comfort women’ were not sex slaves: LDP policy leader [February 26, 2015]