Japan's Apologetic Former PM Tomiichi Murayama Dies
(MENAFN) Japan’s ex-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, widely recognized for publicly acknowledging and apologizing for Japan’s wartime aggression during World War II, passed away on Friday at the age of 101.
His historic act of contrition became a defining moment in postwar Japanese politics.
According to a news agency, Murayama held office from June 1994 to January 1996, becoming the first socialist leader to take the post in nearly five decades.
His rise to power came as head of the Social Democratic Party, after forming an unexpected coalition with the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)—a longtime adversary.
A smaller faction, the New Party Sakigake, also joined the alliance, completing the unique political partnership.
In 1995, on the 50th anniversary marking the conclusion of World War II, Murayama delivered a landmark statement where he expressed “deep remorse” and extended a “heartfelt apology” for “the tremendous damage and suffering” caused by Japan’s imperial conquests and acts of aggression.
This statement remains one of the most significant acknowledgments of Japan’s wartime actions by a sitting leader.
Additionally, during his tenure, Murayama’s administration enacted a law in 1994 aimed at offering support to those who survived the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, describing it as a measure to “provide redress to surviving victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Furthermore, in 1995, his government launched a semi-official initiative known as the Asian Women's Fund. Its goal was to “pay compensation to women who were forced into sexual servitude in Japanese military brothels during World War II.”
While the fund represented a step toward accountability, the initiative has since been dissolved.
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