Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, the main character of the Murayama Statement, whic..

The protagonist of the Murayama Statement, who admitted the invasion in 1995, wishes for a “peaceful country” in the last years of simple and quiet life

사진 확대 On August 15, 1995, then Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama delivers a statement on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Former Prime Minister Murayama died of old age at a hospital in Oita on the 17th. Yonhap News Agency

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, the main character of the Murayama Statement, which apologized for Japan’s past colonial rule, died on the 17th. He was 101.

According to local media such as NHK and Kyodo News, former Prime Minister Murayama died of old age at a hospital in Oita, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu.

On August 15, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, he impressed the international community with the Murayama Statement, which explicitly acknowledged Japan’s colonial rule and aggression for the first time and expressed “sentimental reflection and heartfelt apology.”

At a press conference marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, he said in a calm and decisive tone that “Japan has taken a path of war under the wrong national policy and has caused enormous damage and suffering to many countries, especially Asia.” He then emphasized the sincerity of the apology by adding the phrase, “We face undeniable historical facts in a humble manner.” This discourse was evaluated as an “advanced expression” in many countries, including Korea, China, and the United States, and has since established itself as a standard for the prime minister’s statement.

Former Prime Minister Murayama is a former member of the Socialist Party (now the Social Democratic Party) and formed an unusual coalition government in 1994 in partnership with the conservative Liberal Democratic Party. His tenure was a turbulent period in modern Japanese history. The 1995 Great Kobe Earthquake, which killed and disappeared more than 6,000 people, and the subway sarin gas terror attacks at Omjinri Bridge put the national crisis response system to the test. Although there were criticisms over the initial response, he emphasized the value of the pacifist constitution and promoted stable state administration despite social unrest.

사진 확대 Tomiichi Murayama, then Japanese Prime Minister, inspecting the site of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995. Former Prime Minister Murayama died of old age at a hospital in Oita on the morning of the 17th. [Photo source = Yonhap News]

After leaving office, he re-chaired the Socialist Party and visited North Korea in 1999 as the head of a non-partisan visiting group. Even after leaving office, former Prime Minister Murayama criticized the issue of historical awareness and attempts to amend the constitution. Concerns were publicly expressed whenever some conservative politicians attempted to revise the peaceful constitution and moved to retreat the expression of past history. On the 25th anniversary of the Murayama Statement in 2020, he emphasized, “It is of utmost importance to maintain and develop long-term friendly relations of peace and prosperity with Asia, including China, which has been severely damaged by wars in the past.”

Born as one of 11 siblings in a fishing village in Oita Prefecture in 1924, he went to a commercial high school at night to study both living and studying. After serving in the military, after graduating from Meiji University in 1946, he worked on labor movements and community activities at the Fisheries Cooperative. He joined the House of Representatives in 1972 after serving as a member of the Oita Prefecture Council. After being elected leader of the Socialist Party in 1993, he became prime minister the following year. After resigning as prime minister in 1996, he retired from politics in 2000 and later lived an easy life in his hometown, attending “day care” (a facility for the elderly in Japan) three times a week.

Last year, it drew attention to mark its 100th birthday. In a message released ahead of his 100th birthday, he said, “I hope Japan will continue to be a peaceful country,” adding, “I am happy to live in a natural attitude without overdoing it and to spend every day with my family.”