Letter from the Prime Minister of Japan The Government of Japan has expressed its sincere apologies and remorse regarding the issue known as "wartime comfort women" on various occasions. When the atonement money and medical and welfare support project are provided, the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government, sends a letter expressing apologies and remorse directly to each former "wartime comfort woman."
As Prime Minister of Japan, I thus extend anew my most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the War, an event that caused many people, both in Japan and abroad, great suffering and sorrow. During these past 50 years we have worked hard to cultivate, step by step, friendly relations with our neighbouring Asian countries and others. However, the scars of war still run deep in these countries to this day.
The problem of the so-called wartime comfort women is one such scar, which, with the involvement of the Japanese military forces of the time, seriously stained the honor and dignity of many women. This is entirely inexcusable. I offer my profound apology to all those who, as wartime comfort women, suffered emotional and physical wounds that can never be closed.
Comments by the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yasuo Fukuda on the history textbooks to be used in junior high schools from 2002 (2002年から中学校で使用される歴史教科書に対する福田官房長官コメント)
During the process of the recent authorization of textbooks, various concerns have been expressed from neighboring countries. However, the authorization was carried out impartially based on the Regulations of Textbook Authorization, including the Course of Study and the "Provision Concerning Neighboring Countries." In this connection, the Japanese Government's basic recognition of its history is reflected entirely in the Prime Minister's statement issued on 15 August 1995 commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II. Japan humbly accepts that for a period in the not too distant past, it caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations, through its colonial rule and aggression, and expresses its deep remorse and heartfelt apology for this. Such recognition has been succeeded by subsequent Cabinets and there is no change regarding this point in the present Cabinet. Japan would like to endeavor to promote mutual understanding and trust with its neighboring countries and contribute to peace and prosperity not onlyin Asia, but in the rest of the world too.
3. On the issue of wartime "comfort women", which seriously stained the honor and dignity of many women, I would like to take this opportunity once again to express my profound and sincere remorse and apologies.
With regard to this issue as well, I believe that one way of demonstrating such feelings of apologies and remorse is to work to further promote mutual understanding with the countries and areas concerned as well as to face squarely to the past and ensure that it is rightly conveyed to future generations. This initiative, in this sense, has been drawn up consistent with such belief.
Along with the Initiative by the government, I would like to find out, together with Japanese people, an appropriate way which enables a wide participation of people so that we can share such feelings.
Japan's ODA Annual Report 1999 Section 3 Largest Recipient Nations Chart 45 Major Recipients of Japan's Bilateral Assistance by Aid Type (1998) 日本ODA1999年次報告書 (1998年度韓国へのODA、テクニカルコーポレーション、96.39 : $ million)
Letter written in response to the article "Japan's Incredible, Vanishing Atrocity" in the Sunday Telegraph on 25 February 2001 サンデーテレグラフ掲載された南京事件関係記事への返答(抗議文)
First, the Government of Japan considers it an undeniable fact that the killings of Chinese non-combatants and plundering by Japanese troops did take place in Nanjing. This position has been already clearly expressed by the Government of Japan.
Second, we teach our younger generation, through our textbooks, the tremendous damage and suffering inflicted on neighboring countries before and during the Second World War including what happened in Nanjing.
Third, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama's official statement in August 1995 states that Japan, "through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations.", and expresses "feelings of deep remorse" and "heartfelt apology". During Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to Japan in 1998, Prime Minister Obuchi reiterated Prime Minister Murayama's remarks expressing deep remorse and heartfelt apology to China. The Government of Japan has also implemented the "Peace, Friendship and Exchange Initiative" since fiscal year 1995 with the aim of fostering relations grounded on deep understanding and trust with the countries concerned. The initiative has two main pillars, a program to support historical research and exchange programs between Japan and the relevant countries.
The article claims that Japan has never officially apologized for its actions during the Second World War. The fact is that Japan has repeatedly expressed its remorse and stated its apology for wartime actions with the utmost clarity. A notable example is then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama's official statement in August 1995, based upon a Cabinet decision. In the statement, Mr. Murayama said that Japan "through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations," and he expressed his "feelings of deep remorse" and stated his "heartfelt apology." It should further be noted that in the statement on 15 August of this year at the ceremony to mark the 55th year since the end of the Second World War, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori referred once again to the fact that Japan caused tremendous sufferings and sadness to many countries during the War with his feelings of deep remorse. Mr. Jackson also claims that the war is "glossed over" in Japanese schools. In fact, all 33 middle and high schools history textbooks used in Japan's primary and secondary schools mention the damages and sufferings caused by Japan's wartime actions. As one of the pillars of its post-war diplomacy, Japan has consistently endeavored to build friendly and constructive relations with neighboring countries. This policy has been developed due to Japan's sincere reflection upon its wartime actions.
Recognizing that the issue known as "wartime comfort women" was a grave affront to the honor and dignity of a large number of women, the Government of Japan, together with the people of Japan, seriously discussed what could be done for expressing their sincere apologies and remorse to the former "wartime comfort women." As a result, the Asian Women's Fund (AWF) was established on July 19, 1995 in order to offer atonement from Japanese people to the former "wartime comfort women." Having decided to provide necessary assistance for the AWF by a Cabinet decision in August 1995, the Government of Japan, with a view to fulfilling its moral responsibility, has been providing all possible assistance for the AWF, including bearing the total operational costs of the AWF, assisting its fund-raising and providing the necessary funds to implement its activities(approximately 3.8 billion yen from the AWF's founding through fiscal year of 2001), in order for the AWF to attain its goals.
1. Cooperation for the Asian Women's Fund
The Government of Japan has been cooperating with the AWF in implementing the activities outlined below. The activities of the AWF show steady progress as a whole. As of February 2001, in the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan, atonement money was delivered from the AWF, and some of those who received expressed their gratitude in various ways.
In addition, the AWF is implementing activities tailored to domestic conditions in the Netherlands and Indonesia as well. Activities in the Netherlands were completed successfully on 14 July 2001. The Government of Japan will continue its effort to seek the understanding from the Governments and authorities and other parties of the countries and regions concerned with regard to the activities of the AWF.
If the protest is along the lines of "protect the endangered whale species," we are on the same ground. Japan strongly supports the international protection of endangered whale species such as blue whales. Regarding Japan's whale research (as of 2001), it is true that it involves an annual maximum sampling of 540 minke whales, 50 Bryde's whales, and 10 sperm whales. However, this level of sampling does not pose any risk to the current status of whale stocks. According to the evaluation of IWC (International Whaling Commission) Scientific Committee in 1990, minke whales have a population of 761,000 in the Antarctic Ocean. Also, in the Western North-Pacific ocean, they have a population of 25,000. Bryde's whales and sperm whales have populations of 22,000 and 102,000 respectively. Thus, they are by no means endangered.
The research take of whales is not a violation or an abuse of a loophole in the international convention. Quite the contrary, this is a legitimate right of the contracting party under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/fishery/whales/convention.html(ICRW).
Whale meat is indeed sold in the market, but this is a requirement set forth by Article VIII of the ICRW. Also, the sale of whale meat does not create any profit in Japan's case. A non-profit research institute, which carries out this research program, sells the by-product in order to cover a portion of its research costs.