House of Councillors member Shoji Nishida of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party explains his own remarks over Himeyuri Cenotaph in Okinawa Prefecture, during a press conference in the Diet building in Tokyo on May 7, 2025. (Mainichi/Akihiro Hirata)
Shoji Nishida, a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) member of Japan’s House of Councillors, has made outrageous remarks that undermine the dignity of Okinawa Prefecture residents without facing up to its history. His statement is unacceptable, and he should immediately retract it and offer an apology.
At an assembly held in Naha on May 3, Constitution Memorial Day in Japan, Nishida referred to Himeyuri Cenotaph, which was erected in memory of students who perished in the Battle of Okinawa after being mobilized into the Himeyuri Student Corps toward the end of World War II.
Nishida stated, “The Japanese military rolled into the area, leaving the Himeyuri corps to die. Then the U.S. troops came in, setting Okinawa free. The explanation for an exhibition is written in that context.” He added that this constitutes “rewriting history.”
At a press conference held after his remarks stirred controversy, Nishida stated, “I don’t remember the text of the exhibit” as he visited the cenotaph over 20 years ago.
We can only call him irresponsible as a politician for making statements that undermine the efforts of Okinawan people based on his vague memories.
Himeyuri Cenotaph is seen in front of Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on June 2, 2024. Inside a natural cave (called “gama” in Okinawa) before the monument, more than 80 people including members of the Himeyuri Student Corps and their teachers died due to a gas bomb attack by the U.S. military during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. (Mainichi/Takayasu Endo)
Chokei Futenma, director of the Himeyuri Peace Museum, denied that there have been any such descriptions claimed by Nishida, “neither in the past nor at present,” and pointed out, “He is asserting the existence of something that actually does not exist.”
Nishida’s remarks trample on testimonials that survivors of the Battle of Okinawa left with grueling efforts to pass down the painful realities of the war that went beyond description.
Okinawa was considered a “sacrificial stone” for Japan to buy time to defend its mainland, and became a fierce battleground where civilians were also embroiled. Of the approximately 200,000 Japanese and American war dead, Okinawan residents accounted for some 120,000, meaning one in four residents were killed.
What must not be overlooked is Nishida’s comment saying, “Japan cannot become independent unless we create a history that we can be convinced of.” If the act of rewriting testimony- and research-based historical facts at someone’s own convenience goes unchallenged, we will not be able to learn the lessons from the past and apply them in the future.
The responsibility of the LDP’s Okinawa Prefecture chapter, which co-hosted the assembly with conservative groups, must also be questioned. The LDP chapter subsequently called Nishida’s statements problematic, saying they were “remarks that offend the sentiment of prefectural residents.” It should have corrected his remarks right on the spot.
June 23 marks 80 years since organized fighting in the Battle of Okinawa ended. As the generation that experienced the war firsthand dwindles, politicians bear the responsibility to accurately convey the realities of the war and never again drag the people of Japan into warfare.
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*Note: At a press conference on May 9, Shoji Nishida apologized over his remarks in question, saying he will “correct and delete” them.
AloJapan.com