"Since the Japanese government has clearly accepted the outcome of the Tokyo Trials, any attempt to overturn it is wrong."
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday (April 28), in response to a question from DotDotNews, issued a firm rebuttal to right-wing voices in Japan who have questioned the legitimacy of the Tokyo Trials on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of their commencement. He emphasized that the Japanese government had long acknowledged and accepted the judgments of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, and that denying the legitimacy of the trials is unacceptable.
DotDotNews reporter asked Hatoyama, "2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or Tokyo Trials. In Japan, there are right-wing groups that question the legal legitimacy of the trials. How do you view this issue?"
Hatoyama responded, "Since Japan has already clearly recognized the Tokyo Trials, I believe it is wrong to attempt to overturn them."
He specifically addressed the designation of "Class-A war criminals" established during the trials, stressing that this is a historical conclusion that cannot be avoided.
Hatoyama then cited the stance of former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai during the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in 1972, "Ordinary Japanese citizens were, in the final analysis, also victims. The real responsibility lies with a segment of militarists……It was those militarists who committed the wrongdoing, while the majority of Japanese people were also victims."
On Sept. 25, 1972, then Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka visited China at the invitation of Premier Zhou Enlai. On Sept.29, the two countries signed the China-Japan Joint Statement, formally normalizing diplomatic relations. Hatoyama recalled that it was precisely this spirit of magnanimity and goodwill that led China to renounce its claims for war reparations against Japan. "For such a significant gesture and act of goodwill, I can express nothing but gratitude," he said.
Political leaders should not visit Yasukuni Shrine
At the end of the interview, Hatoyama voluntarily added a statement that had not been prompted by the reporter's question: "It is precisely for this reason that I believe it is absolutely inappropriate—especially for political leaders—to visit Yasukuni Shrine, where Class-A war criminals are enshrined."
(Reporter: Lynn Zhou)
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