On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the war's end

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the war's end (戦後50周年の終戦記念日にあたっての村山首相談話, Sengo 50 Shūnen no Shūsen Kinenbi Niatatte no Murayama Shushō Danwa^?), also known as Murayama Danwa (村山談話^?), is a war apology statement made by Tomiichi Murayama, then Prime Minister of Japan, on August 15, 1995. It stated that:

"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. In the hope that no such mistake be made in the future, I regard, in a spirit of humility, these irrefutable facts of history, and express here once again my feelings of deep remorse and state my heartfelt apology. Allow me also to express my feelings of profound mourning for all victims, both at home and abroad, of that history."

The statement was based on a Cabinet Decision (閣議決定, Kakugi Kettei^?) which requires unanimous approval from the Cabinet members, has been carried forth by successive administrations, and is often quoted as the official position of the Government of Japan on the issue of Japan's wartime aggression in the early 20th century.

Ryutaro Hashimoto, Press Conference on: Visit of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto to the People's Republic of China (September 6, 1997): "In 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Government of Japan expressed its resolution through the statement by the Prime Minister, which states that during a certain period in the past, Japan's conduct caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, including China, and the Prime Minister expressed his feeling of deep remorse and stated his heartfelt apology, while giving his word to make efforts for peace. I myself was one of the ministers who was involved in drafting this statement. I would like to repeat that this is the official position of the Government of Japan. During the summit meeting that I had during my visit to China, I have made this point very clear in a frank manner to the Chinese side. Premier Li Peng said that he concurs completely with my remarks."

Yōhei Kōno, Address by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yōhei Kōno During His Visit to the People's Republic of China (August 30, 2000): "I believe that Japan's perception of past history was clearly set out in the Statement by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama issued, following a Cabinet Decision, on the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II. As a member of the Cabinet, I participated in the drafting of that Statement. The spirit contained therein has been carried forth by successive administrations and is now the common view of the large number of Japanese people."

Consul-General of Japan in Hong Kong Itaru Umezu, "Japan Has Faced Its Past" (Far Eastern Economic Review, August 10, 2000): "In fact, Japan has clearly and repeatedly expressed its sincere remorse and apologies, and has dealt sincerely with reparation issues. These apologies were irrefutably expressed, in particular in Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama's official statement in 1995, which was based on a cabinet decision and which has subsequently been upheld by successive prime ministers, including Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori."

Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Ryuichiro Yamazaki, "Letter written in response to the article "Miffed Chinese Sue Japan Companies" in New York Times on 7 August 2000" (August 17, 2000): "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'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.' As recently as 1998, then Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi reiterated gist of this statement to Chinese President Jiang Zeming when he paid a state visit to Japan"

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Conference 17 October 2000: "Q: Regarding the discussions, Premier Zhu Rongji mentioned that he has never seen any written apology from the Government of Japan. Do these apologies exist on paper?

Mr. Yamazaki: From the reports that I have seen from yesterday's press conference, Premier Zhu Rongji said that he appreciated the statement by former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama of 1995.

On TBS on Saturday night, Premier Zhu Rongji mentioned that the Japanese have not apologized in writing. However, on Monday, judging by what he said, Premier Zhu Rongji acknowledged that the Murayama Statement exists, and he appreciated it. You had better ask the Chinese spokesperson as to what conclusion you should draw from Premier Zhu Rongji's words.

From the perspective of the Government of Japan, we would like to underline that the Murayama Statement was announced in 1995 in the form of a written statement based on a Cabinet decision. That statement was referred to by Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi when he went to China and also by Prime Minister Mori in the meeting that took place on Friday."

See also

• List of war apology statements issued by Japan
• Resolution to renew the determination for peace on the basis of lessons learned from history

External links

• English full text of the statement