Outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II by releasing a personal statement titled “On the occasion of the 80th year since the end of the war.” In the six-page reflection, Ishiba posed a crucial question: “Why couldn’t Japan avoid that war?”—a theme largely absent from previous official commemorations.
Acknowledging Japan’s past “colonial rule and aggression,” Ishiba said he inherited the spirit of remorse and apology expressed in past government statements, including those by Tomiichi Murayama, Junichiro Koizumi, and Shinzo Abe. However, Ishiba sought to go further, offering an introspective analysis of Japan’s prewar failures and their lessons for the present.
He identified the lack of “civilian control” under the prewar Imperial Constitution as a major structural flaw that allowed the military to dominate politics. He also examined how political leaders, parliament, and the media failed to restrain the military’s influence. Ishiba cited the rejection of the “Emperor organ theory” in 1935 and the 1940 expulsion of a lawmaker who criticized the army as examples of the erosion of democratic oversight.
Turning to the role of the media, Ishiba noted that Japanese newspapers in the 1930s increasingly supported military actions, particularly following the Manchurian Incident, which fueled nationalism among citizens. Concluding his reflection, Ishiba warned that although postwar Japan has established civilian control, it remains only a “system”—one that can fail if not actively upheld. “We must not repeat a history where emotional and spiritual judgments outweigh calm and rational decisions,” he wrote, urging Japan to preserve democratic discipline and peace.