This page includes statements made by both previous and current Japanese prime ministers and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Japanese Prime Ministers

Yukio Hatoyama

  1. Address by H.E. Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan at the Sixty-Fourth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (24 September 2009)
  2. Address by H.E. Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan’s New Commitment to Asia – Towards the Realization of an East Asian Community (15 November 2009)

Naoto Kan

  1. Address by Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (6 August 2010)
  2. Address by Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the Nagasaki Peace Ceremony (9 August 2010)
  3. Statement by Prime Minister Naoto Kan (10 August 2010)
  4. Policy Speech by Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the 176th Extraordinary Session of the Diet (1 October 2010)
  5. Policy Speech by Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the 177th Session of the Diet (24 January 2011)
  6. Lecture Presentation on Foreign Policy by Prime Minister Naoto Kan -“Japanese Diplomacy at a Historic Watershed” (20 January 2011)
  7. Address by Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (6 August 2011)
  8. Address by Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the Nagasaki Peace Ceremony (9 August 2011)

Yoshihiko Noda

  1. Policy Speech by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to the 178th Session of the Diet (13 September 2011)

Shinzo Abe

  1. Statement by Prime Minister Abe – “Pledge for Everlasting Peace” (26 December 2013)
  2. Statement by Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan – “Japan is Back
” at Center for Strategic International Studies (22 February 2013)
  3. Remarks by Prime Minister Abe during the Upper House Budget Session (14 May 2014)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2010 February – Joint Press Conference Following the Japan-Republic of Korea Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

2010 March – Release of the 2nd Term Report by the Japan-ROK Joint History Research Committee

2010 August – Japan Apologizes to South Korea on Colonization

2012 August – Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro

2012 August – Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Talks

2012 August – Proposal to the Government of the Republic of Korea to Institute on the Proceedings before the International Court of Justice by a Special Agreement

2012 August – Statement by the Minister for Foreign affairs of Japan on the Refusal by the Government of the Republic of Korea of the Government of Japan’s Proposal on the Institution of Proceedings before the International Court of Justice by a Special Agreement

2012 September – Statements made by H.E. Mr. Kazuo Kodama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN in exercise of the right of reply, following the statement made by H.E. Mr. Yang Jiechi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China at the General Debate of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly

2012 September – Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

2014 April – Joint Press Conference with President Obama and Prime Minister Abe of Japan

 

Chronology of previous statements:

2007

“Second Phase of the Japan-ROK Joint History Research Committee” First Meeting of Chairpersons (04.27.07)

Press Conference on Wen Jiabao’s Visit to Japan (04.10.07)

Press Conference (Questions concerning the comfort women issue) (03.09.07)

Press Conference By the Press Secretary, MOFA, Questions Concerning Remarks by Foreign Minister Aso on Comfort Women  (02.20.07)

2006

Remarks by H.E. Foreign Minister Taro Aso on the Occasion of Friendship Day,Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Normalization of Diplomatic Relations Between Japan and the Philippines (07.23.06)

“Working Together for a Stable and Prosperous East Asia”
– Lessons of the Past, a Vision for the Freedom to Dream – Address by ForeignMinister Taro Aso, CSIS, Washington D.C.
(05.03.06)

Press Conference by Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi (re: questions concerning yen loans to the People’s Republic of China) (03.24.06)

Japan-China Comprehensive Policy Dialogue (02.06.06)

2005

Statement by Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the 40th Anniversary of the Normalization of Diplomatic Ties between Japan and the Republic of Korea (12.19.05)

Press Conference by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Following the ASEAN+3, Japan-ASEAN and EAS Summit Meetings (12.14.05)

Asian Strategy As I See It: Japan as the “Thought Leader” of Asia
Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Aso at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan
(12.07.05)

Basic Position of the Government of Japan Regarding Prime Minister Koizumi’s Visits to Yasukuni Shrine (10.01.05)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the 60th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead (08.15.05)

Statement by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on 60th Anniversary of the End of the War (08.15.05)

Resolution of Japan’s pledge to contribute further to the building of International peace on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, the end of World War II, and the atomic bombing (08.04.05)

Statement by Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, Permanent Representative of Japan, at the Special Meeting of the General Assembly on Commemoration of the Sixtieth Anniversary of the End of the Second World War (05.09.05)

Statement by the Press Secretary / Director-General for Press and Public Relations (MOFA) on the Enactment of the Law concerning the ‘sustainable use’ of Takeshima Island by the National Assembly of the ROK (05.02.05)

Speech by Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura on Japan’s Global Strategy and the Japan-US Global Partnership on the 60th Anniversary of the End of World War II (04.29.05)

Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan, at the Africa-Asian Summit 2005 (04.22.05)

Statement by the Press Secretary / Director-General for Press and Public Relations (MOFA) on the Activities Concerning Japan by Demonstrators on the 16th in Shanghai and elsewhere in China (04.16.05)

Statement by the Press Secretary / Director-General for Press and Public Relations (MOFA) on the Statement by the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China concerning the Anti-Japan Demonstrations in China (04.13.05)

Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Summary) (04.07.05)

Statement by Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura on the Statement of the Standing Committee of the National Security Council of the Republic of Korea(03.18.05)

Statement by UN Ambassador Kenzo Oshima (Permanent Representative of Japan at the UN) at the Special Session of the General Assembly on the 60th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Nazi Concentration Camps (01.24.05)

2004
Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the 59th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead (08.15.04)

Recent Policy of the Government of Japan on the Issue Known as “Wartime Comfort Women” (May 2004)

Japan’s Position Regarding the Issue of Takeshima Island (March 2004)

Prime Minister Attends 2004 National Rally to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories (02.07.04)

2003
Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the 58th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead (08.15.03)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Nagasaki Memorial Service for the Nagasaki Peace Ceremony (08.09.03)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Hiroshima Memorial Service for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (08.06.03)

Recent Policy of the Government of Japan on the Issues Known as “Wartime Comfort Women (01.03)

 

2002

Statement by President Tomiichi Murayama regarding the Asian Women’s Fund atonement projects (10.02)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the 57th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead (08.15.02)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Nagasaki Memorial Service for the 57th Nagasaki Peace Ceremony (08.09.02)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Hiroshima Memorial Service for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (08.06.02)

Observation by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on the Visit to Yasukuni Shrine (04.21.02)

2001


Letter from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the former comfort women (2001)

Recent Policy of the Government of Japan on the Issue Known as “Wartime Comfort Women” (11.01)

Ceremony to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty (09.08.01)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (at the 56th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead) (08.15.01)

Statement of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi  on the Visit to Yasukuni Shrine (08.13.01)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Nagasaki Memorial Service for the 56th Nagasaki Peace Ceremony (08.09.01)

Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Hiroshima Memorial Service for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (08.06.01)

On the Completion of the Atonement Project of the Asian Women’s Fund (AWF) in the Netherlands (07.13.01)

Press Secretary’s Statement on the Completion of the “Atonement Project” of the Asian Women’s Fund (AWF) in the Netherlands (07.13.01)

The contents of the letter of the Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka sent to the Project Implementation Committee in the Netherlands (PICN) (07.06.01)

Comment by Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka on the Official Stance Conveyed by the Government of the Republic of Korea on the Decision to Authorize Japanese History Textbooks (05.08.01)

Comments by the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yasuo Fukuda on the history textbooks to be used in junior high schools from 2002 (04.03.01)

2000

Press Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hidenao Nakagawa on the Asian Women’s Fund (09.01.00)

“Letter written in response to the article ‘Miffed Chinese Sue Japan Companies’ in New York Times on 7 August 2000” (08.30.00)

Statement by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori regarding Shinto (05.26.00)

1998
Japan’s war apology expressed in “Japan-China Joint Declaration On Building a Partnership of Friendship and Cooperation for Peace and Development” (11.26.98)

“The contents of the letter of the then Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto sent to the Netherlands Prime Minister Willem Kok on July 15, 1998” (07.15.98)

“Statement by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on World War II prisoners of war” (01.13.98)

1997
War apology by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto during his speech, “Seeking a New Foreign Policy Toward China” (08.28.97)

1996
War apology by Emperor Heisei during his speech at dinner with President Kim Dae Jung of the Republic of Korea (in Japanese) (10.08.96)

1995
Statement by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama “On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the war’s end” (08.15.95)

An Appeal for Donations for the Asian Women’s Fund (07.18.95)

Statement by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on the occasion of the establishment of the “Asian Women’s Fund” (07.95)

Statement by the Chief Cabinet Secretary regarding “Asian Peace and Friendship Foundation for Women” (06.14.95)

Resolution to Renew the Determination for Peace on the Basis of Lessons Learned from History, House of Representatives, National Diet of Japan (06.09.95)

1994

Statement by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on the “Peace, Friendship, and Exchange Initiative” (08.31.94)

Outline of the” Peace, Friendship, and Exchange Initiative”

1993
War Apology by Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa (08.23.93)

Statement from Cabinet of Councillor’s Office on External Affairs on the Issue of Wartime Comfort Women (08.04.93)

“Statement by the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on the result of the study on the issue of ‘comfort women'” (08.04.93)

1992
“Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Kato on the Issue of the so-called “Wartime Comfort Women” from the Korean Peninsula” (07.06.92)

War apology by Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa during his speech at dinner with President Roh Tae Woo (in Japanese) (01.16.92)

1990
War apology by Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu during the summit meeting with President Roh Tae Woo (in Japanese) (05.25.90)

1986

Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Masaharu Gotoda on Official Visits to Yasukuni Shrine by the Prime Minister and Other State Ministers on August 15 of this year (08.14.86)

 

1984

War apology by Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone (09.07.84):

“There was a period in this century when Japan brought to bear great sufferings upon your country and its people. I would like to state here that the government and people of Japan feel a deep regret for this error.” (Source: The Economist, September 15, 1984)

1982

Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Kiichi Miyazawa on History Textbooks (08.26.82)

War apology by Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki during the Press Conference on Textbook issue (08.24.82)

“I am painfully aware for Japan’s responsibility for inflicting serious damages [on Asian nations] during the past war.” “We need to be aware that there are criticisms that condemn [Japan’s occupation] as invasion.” (Source: Press Conference on Textbook Issue, qtd. in Tahara, Soichiro ( 田原総一郎). Nihon no senso (日本の戦争). Shogakkan, 2000: Tokyo, Japan. p. 161.)

1972

War apology by Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka during the signing of the Joint Communiqué of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (09.29.72)