On December 28, DP President Renho issued the following statement.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Hawaii, where he held his last leadership summit with President Obama. In addition, he visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and gave a speech.

This visit to Hawaii, which took place in the historic 75th anniversary year of the outbreak of the war between Japan and the United States, is an opportunity for us to mourn the fallen from all armed conflicts, as well as to renew our strong resolve to never again wage war.  It is extremely important that Japan and the United States have once more shown the significance of having overcome our history as adversaries who fought on opposite sides in the war, to create the true friendly relationship we share today.

The Democratic Party also supports the determination of both nations to demonstrate both the importance of peace and a spirit of tolerance to the world.  However, I am not certain that the Prime Minister’s speech conveys Japan’s real verdict and remorse over World War II.

The question of whether the Prime Minister’s speech succeeds in persuading the international community, is dependent upon Japan’s future behavior.  It goes without saying that the direction of Prime Minister Abe’s future foreign and defense policies is also crucial.  The Democratic Party intends to continue our close scrutiny of the government’s actual behavior.

It is becoming increasingly important for Japan to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance, which is the cornerstone of our nation’s diplomacy, as well as to realizing mutual coexistence in the Asian-Pacific region and contributing to the peace and prosperity of the international community.  Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new U.S. President, the Democratic Party will continue to make proposals in order to further develop the already robust relationship between Japan and the United States.