Former Japanese Prime Minister Murayama, known for apology over wartime aggression, dies at 101

Japan's erstwhile Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who was known for his 1995 “Murayama statement” apologising to Asian victims of his country's aggression, died Friday (October 17, 2025). He was 101.

Murayama died astatine a infirmary successful his hometown Oita, southwestern Japan, according to a connection from Mizuho Fukushima, the caput of Japan's Social Democratic Party.

As caput of what was past known arsenic the Japan Socialist Party, Murayama led a conjugation authorities from June 1994 to January 1996.

The apology helium issued arsenic premier curate connected Aug 15, 1995, marking the 50th day of Japan's unconditional surrender ending World War II, is seen arsenic Japan's main look of remorse for its wartime and assemblage past.

It has since been endorsed by each premier ministers until nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stopped apologising successful 2013.

Murayama had criticised increasing attempts by nationalist lawmakers to discredit the apology for forced prostitution by citing the deficiency of authoritative wartime documents specifically stating that the authorities astatine the clip systematically forced Asian women to supply enactment for Japanese soldiers astatine subject brothels. (AP) SCY SCY