A Former Liberal Prime Minister Deceases

Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama died at age of 101 on October 17. He is known as delivering the Murayama Statement for commemoration of 50th anniversary of the end of Worle War II on August 15th, 1995. Although apology on Japan’s past aggression to the neighbor countries were refused by his successors, the Murayama Statement has been a benchmark of Japan’s regret for its deeds in the war. Even the hawkish lawmakers in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) praised Murayama’s achievement.

 

Murayama joined Japan Socialist Party (JSP) after his involvement in civil movement for fishermen and was elected a member of the House of Representatives in 1972. As a chairman of Diet Affairs of JSP, Murayama led a protest against legislature of United Nations Peace Keeping Operation Cooperation Act, which enabled Japan Self-defense Force to go abroad, which had been recognized as a violation of the Constitution of Japan which was interpreted as prohibiting Japan to send troops to a foreign country.

 

In 1994, Murayama was elected the prime minister in an administration consisted of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), New Party Sakigake and the JSP. The LDP upheld Murayama as the leader of ruling coalition to take back the government from New Frontier Party (Shinshinto) which was built by lawmakers who left the LDP in 1993, including Ichiro Ozawa.

 

As the prime minister, Murayama led liberal policies, especially reviewing Japan’s responsibility for the World War II. In his statement at the 50th anniversary from war end, Murayama expressed unequivocal apology to the neighbor country. “During a certain period in the not too distant past, Japan, following a mistaken national policy, advanced along the road to war, only to ensnare the Japanese people in a fateful crisis, 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 saidin the statement.

Murayama administration in 1995 established the Asian Women’s Fund with atonement for comfort women, mainly Korean females who were mobilized to foreign countries to provide sexual services for Japanese soldiers and officers. Murayama was involved in this issue as the chairman of the fund, after he resigned as a lawmaker in 2000.

 

Murayama’s works as a liberal prime minister faced backlash from conservative members in the LDP, namely former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Abe questioned involvement of Japanese government in mobilizing comfort women and refused “apology” to Asian neighbors in his 70th anniversary statement in 2005. “We have engraved in our hearts the histories of suffering of the people in Asia as our neighbors,” said Abe in his statement.

 

The president of LDP, Sanae Takaichi, identifies herself as a successor of Abe’s political stance. However, she expressed her condolence to Murayama, referring to Murayama’s effort for policy changes at the time of building a coalition with the LDP. “I am in the same situation,” said Takaichi, paralleling her situation to have policy discussion with Japan Innovation Party with Murayama’s era. 

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