【Text by Observer Net, Liu Bai】On the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Japanese government has not only failed to sincerely reflect on history but also invested heavily in international public relations. It has even been exposed for attempting to block other countries from attending China's commemorative activities. These actions are an open challenge to historical justice and the post-war peace order.

Notably, Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly later this month. Earlier reports by Japanese media indicated that he is expected to discuss his views on the causes of World War II.

However, surprisingly, this news has raised concerns among conservative members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Since Ishiba has announced his intention to step down as prime minister and LDP president, analysts believe he may express his personal historical views more freely, potentially offering a more comprehensive apology than any previous LDP leader. Some conservative figures have even accused Ishiba of "capitulating" to China.

The Chinese side has repeatedly emphasized that correctly recognizing and dealing with history is an important prerequisite for Japan's return to the international community after the war, a political foundation for developing relations with neighboring countries, and a benchmark for examining whether Japan can abide by its commitment to peaceful development.

"I am deeply concerned about Ishiba's planned remarks," said Shioya Yoichi, a conservative member of parliament and former supporter of the LDP, during an interview with Hong Kong-based English media outlet South China Morning Post's subsidiary "This Week in Asia." He stated that Ishiba had previously made critical comments regarding Japan's prewar and wartime actions.

Shioya argued that Japan made "some very bad decisions" in the first few decades of the 20th century, but was not the only country that made serious geopolitical miscalculations. He claimed, "I think Ishiba does not fully or completely understand history, and he has capitulated to China's efforts to promote a 'sense of guilt' about the war among the Japanese people."

September 8, Tokyo, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office. Visual China

The Japan Times earlier cited a government official who reported that Ishiba might discuss the end of World War II at the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

"Ishiba seems to be walking a tightrope," said Stephen Nagao, professor of international relations at Tokyo International University of Christianity. "Much of what he says does not represent the LDP's position, and I am sure he does not want his political legacy to be being expelled by the LDP."

Nagao believes there may be other considerations behind Ishiba's intentions.

"I think he is trying to weaken the more radical conservative faction within the LDP before the party members vote for a new leader," Nagao said. "He likely believes that the conservatives are pushing the LDP and the entire country in a different direction."

Nagao added, "For him, it may be an opportunity to make a statement on the importance of unity, peace, and stability, as well as to outline the path Japan should take in the future."

The South China Morning Post reported on September 10 that Ishiba once served as defense minister and was known for his focus on Japan's military expansion history in Asia and the Pacific. In March this year, he visited Iwo Jima, one of the fiercest battlefields of the war. In April, he went to the Philippines, becoming the first Japanese prime minister to visit the country and commemorate Japanese soldiers who died there. In June, he attended the memorial ceremony for the dead in Okinawa.

In March this year, Ishiba announced his desire to establish a group of historians and experts to comprehensively study the background of Japan's war on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the defeat.

However, due to strong opposition from senior LDP officials, the proposal ultimately failed to materialize.

Notably, on August 15, the day marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender, the Japanese government held a "National Memorial Ceremony for the Dead" at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Ishiba did not mention Japan's responsibility for its aggression against Asian countries in his speech. Instead, he stated, "We must deeply remember the regret and lessons from that war now."

The Yomiuri Shimbun cited sources close to the prime minister, saying that Ishiba had questioned why the word "regret" was not included in his speech draft on August 15, and that Japanese officials subsequently added the word to the script.

This marked the first time since 2012, when then-Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda spoke, that the word "regret" was restored in the speech at the ceremony.

Ishiba attends the joint memorial ceremony for the victims of the Iwo Jima campaign. Visual China

Ishiba stated that he felt a responsibility to issue a formal statement, in which he would say, "It is necessary to prevent wars from happening again." He believed that such personal statements would involve why Japan failed to avoid "hasty" involvement in the war.

It is reported that there was discussion within the Japanese government about whether Ishiba should issue a statement on August 15 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender. Previous Japanese prime ministers have also issued similar statements on important memorials, with the most recent being the statement by Shinzo Abe in 2015. However, Ishiba was eventually dissuaded because such a statement required collective support from the cabinet.

In August 2015, then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered a statement commemorating the end of World War II. He called on Japan to "calmly reflect on the path of war, the post-war period, and the era of the 20th century."

He added that Japan "must draw wisdom for the future from the lessons of history," and declared that Japan "chose the wrong path and embarked on the road to war." He expressed regret to countries such as China and South Korea, but at the same time, he was vague, stating that modern Japan was different from the country 70 years ago after repeated apologies.

"In Japan, over 80% of the population were born after the war. We must never let descendants who have nothing to do with that war, let alone generations further away, be forced to apologize for it. Despite this, all Japanese people, regardless of their generation, must face the past history."

Regarding Abe's speech, the Chinese side responded by emphasizing that Japan should clearly and explicitly explain the nature of the imperialist invasion war and the war responsibility, offer sincere apologies to the people of the victim countries, and thoroughly cut ties with the history of imperialism, without making any concealment on this major principle issue.

August 14, 2015, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe holds a press conference to deliver his statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. Visual China

Isao Shioya, who once served as a consultant to Shinzo Abe and was his private friend, expressed "reservations" about parts of Abe's statement, arguing that these contents were "too much" and should be regarded as the final stance of the Japanese government on the historical event of World War II.

He echoed Abe's remarks, claiming that the descendants of the Japanese people "should not be forced to apologize every year."

Shioya also worried that if Ishiba announced a new position, its scale would far exceed the statement made by Abe in 2015.

He even turned the accusation back, claiming that "no matter what Japan says, some countries will never stop using historical issues to attack modern Japan for their own interests."

It is precisely under the operations of politicians like Shioya that the Japanese public generally remain ignorant and indifferent to that horrific history of aggression against China.

In some textbooks published by right-wing-oriented publishers, there is no mention of the large-scale killings, looting, and rapes committed by the Japanese army in China, but instead, they question the judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. Worse still, some textbooks completely erase references to the Nanjing Massacre.

@Yuyuantan Tian recently found out that since China first held a military parade themed around commemorating the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 2015, Japan has not only failed to face its history of aggression, but has also allocated 5.6 billion yen to build a so-called "correct image".

According to the annual budget data of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the total budget related directly to overseas strategic information dissemination by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has exceeded 5.6 billion yen since 2015, with the relevant budget reaching 6.22 billion yen in 2025. By contrast, the Japanese government's compensation for the "comfort women" issue after the war has amounted to less than 1 billion yen, and has yet to provide adequate, sincere compensation and apology to the victims.

At the same time, it has been reported that Japan has urged countries not to attend China's commemoration activities and military parades.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on August 26 that the Chinese government solemnly commemorates the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in order to remember history, pay tribute to the fallen heroes, cherish peace, and create a better future. Any country that honestly faces history, genuinely learns from the lessons of history, and truly commits to peaceful development will not doubt or raise objections to this.

Guo Jiakun said that correctly recognizing and dealing with history is an important prerequisite for Japan's return to the international community after the war, a political foundation for developing relations with neighboring countries, and a benchmark for examining whether Japan can abide by its commitment to peaceful development. If Japan sincerely wants to move past the historical issues, it should face and reflect on its history of aggression with a sincere attitude, completely cut ties with militarism, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and truly respect the feelings of the people of the victim countries, thereby gaining trust from Asian neighbors and the international community.

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