[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by Thingle

....while stopping short of a full, formal and sincere apology to the Asian countries Japan invaded, and the admittance and denunciation of the various massacres they have committed during ww2.

yea yea yeah.

Oh wait! The emperor must do it instead!

This was done by another Japanese PM in '95.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_...he_war%27s_end

Murayama Danwa (村山談話, Murayama Danwa?), is a war apology statement made by Tomiichi Murayama, then Prime Minister of Japan, on August 15, 1995. It stated that:

"During a certain period in the not too distant past, Japan, following a mistaken national policy, advanced along the road to war, only to ensnare the Japanese people in a fateful crisis, and, through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations. In the hope that no such mistake be made in the future, I regard, in a spirit of humility, these irrefutable facts of history, and express here once again my feelings of deep remorse and state my heartfelt apology. Allow me also to express my feelings of profound mourning for all victims, both at home and abroad, of that history."

The statement was based on a Cabinet Decision (閣議決定, Kakugi Kettei?) which requires unanimous approval from the Cabinet members, has been carried forth by successive administrations, and is often quoted as the official position of the Government of Japan on the issue of Japan's wartime aggression in the early 20th century.

On TBS, Premier Zhu Rongji mentioned that the Japanese have not apologized in writing. However, on Monday, judging by what he said, Premier Zhu Rongji acknowledged that the Murayama Statement exists, and he appreciated it. You had better ask the Chinese spokesperson as to what conclusion you should draw from Premier Zhu Rongji's words.

From the perspective of the Government of Japan, we would like to underline that the Murayama Statement was announced in 1995 in the form of a written statement based on a Cabinet decision. That statement was referred to by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi when he went to China and also by Prime Minister Mori in the meeting that took place on Friday."