(C) The Japan Times

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered a key policy affirmation on Friday, stating her government would "inherit the historical recognition of past cabinets" concerning the nation's wartime and colonial legacy. This public commitment, made during a contentious House of Representatives Budget Committee session, is the first such declaration by the hardline conservative leader since she assumed office.

The statement came in response to a direct question from Akira Nagatsuma of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) regarding the Murayama Statement. Issued in 1995, the landmark declaration acknowledged Japan's colonial rule and aggression and offered a "heartfelt apology and deep remorse."

PM Takaichi confirmed, "We are collectively inheriting the stance of successive cabinets concerning historical recognition, including past prime ministerial statements, and will continue to do so." She also affirmed that on the question of whether Japan's actions constituted aggression and colonial rule, her administration "follows the government’s previous view," noting that Japan has already expressed apologies on multiple occasions.

This position aligns her with historical continuity established by predecessors, including former Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida and Shigeru Ishiba, who frequently used the phrase to address sensitive historical issues. However, Takaichi's current stance represents a notable pivot from her pre-premiership critiques. Prior to taking office, she had repeatedly criticized the Murayama Statement, notably in a 2005 magazine piece where she argued that upholding such an "indiscriminate view" would "keep our descendants tied up as 'citizens of a crime nation.'"

The Prime Minister’s rigorous preparation for the debate, which included an unusual three-hour meeting with her secretaries starting at 3 AM on the day of the committee hearing, underscored the political sensitivity and high stakes surrounding the historical issue.

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