Japan PM Ishiba unlikely to announce view on WWII soon

Ishiba had also considered announcing the view on Sept. 2, the date when Japan signed the surrender document in 1945, but no such announcement is likely to be made that day, senior officials of the government and Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party said.

Ishiba is still seeking an appropriate time to announce his view, which would be based on the results of a review of the war.

But some expect that it would be difficult to make such an announcement, which could intensify calls for his resignation that emerged within the LDP following the party's rout in the July 20 election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament.

Japan had issued a prime minister's statement to mark each of the 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries of the country's surrender in the war. The tradition could be broken by Ishiba.

Ishiba has already given up the idea of releasing a prime minister's statement on the war that requires cabinet approval. He is instead considering working out a document to present his view, based on the results of experts' examination of the circumstances that led Japan to join the war.

But the preparations did not progress because he was busy with the Upper House election and the Japan-US tariff negotiations. A source close to the prime minister said Ishiba cannot announce his view by Sept. 2.

In a statement issued 10 years ago, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the deep remorse and heartfelt apology expressed by past cabinets "will remain unshakable."

Meanwhile, he said, "We must not let our children, grandchildren, and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologise."

Supporting the view, many LDP lawmakers who belonged to the now-defunct faction that had been led by Abe think that no further war statement is necessary.

Given this, Ishiba reckons that releasing his view would fuel moves to oust him, simmering within the party.

"It's better not to release anything," a source close to him said.

Ishiba has not entirely scrapped the idea of compiling a paper to show his view. He is seeking the right timing while monitoring the situation inside the party, sources said.

But he might have to abandon the idea if the turmoil within the party continues.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]