By Michitaka Kaiya

8:00 JST, September 6, 2025

Is it necessary for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to issue a personal message about World War II? Besides the question of what will happen with Ishiba’s own political future, a key political issue this summer, which marks the 80th anniversary of the war’s end, is whether to release such a message as an alternative to an official anniversary statement, which requires cabinet approval. Ishiba has said it is “necessary to prevent war from ever happening again,” expressing his desire to issue a message that includes his own assessment of why Japan failed to prevent its reckless entry into the war. However, the timing, format and direction of the message’s content remain undecided.

Ishiba ultimately decided not to issue the message on Aug. 15, the anniversary of the war’s end, citing insufficient preparation time. Nevertheless, he struck a distinct tone by using the word “remorse” in his address at the government’s annual memorial service for the war dead. According to sources close to Ishiba, the initial draft prepared by his staff did not contain the word “remorse.” Ishiba asked why not and had it included. This marked the first time “remorse” had appeared in a prime minister’s address since former Democratic Party leader Yoshihiko Noda (now leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan) used it in 2012.

Ishiba told reporters on Aug. 15 that he would “make an appropriate judgment” regarding the release of a message, leaving his policy unclear but indicating that he remains willing to........

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