TOKYO, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A memorial service for former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who passed away at the age of 101 in October 2025, was held in Tokyo on Monday afternoon.
About 450 people from political and other sectors of society attended, including Eisuke Mori, speaker of the House of Representatives, and Masakazu Sekiguchi, president of the House of Councillors.
A photo exhibition on Murayama's life was on display at the venue. During the memorial, attendees listened to reminiscences shared by those who had known Murayama personally, and offered flowers in turn to pay tribute and express their condolences.
Yohei Kono, former president of the Liberal Democratic Party, said in his address that Murayama's greatest legacy is embodied in the Murayama Statement. He noted that the statement, with sincerity, faced Japan's history of colonial rule and aggression in Asia squarely, and that the sense of justice and commitment to peace it reflects have won broad recognition from the international community.
"At a time when arms race among nations is intensifying, the path toward peace that Murayama pursued must continue," he said.
Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, recalled that she had heard Murayama repeatedly stress that "war must never happen again."
She noted that, against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world and growing momentum within Japan to revise Article 9 of the pacifist constitution, inheriting and developing the Murayama Statement would help prevent Japan from becoming a party to war and promote peace.
House of Councillors member Kiyomi Tsujimoto said that Murayama had devoted his life to safeguarding Article 9. In an international environment marked by expanding armed conflicts, the provision continues to serve as a restraint preventing Japan from being drawn into war.
"The honesty toward history, the unwavering commitment to peace, and the vigilance against the abuse of power that Murayama embodied are qualities we must genuinely carry forward in our own time," she said.
Born on March 3, 1924, in Oita Prefecture, Murayama became chairman of the Japan Socialist Party in 1993 and served as prime minister from June 1994 through January 1996.
During his tenure, Murayama promoted a number of social policies and, in 1995, issued a cabinet-endorsed statement in his name, which acknowledged that Japan had followed a mistaken national policy and advanced along the road to war.
The statement clearly pointed out that Japan's colonial rule and aggression had "caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations."
The Statement also expressed "deep remorse" and offered a "heartfelt apology," using unprecedented language to apologize for Japan's wartime actions, which has been widely recognized by the international community.
Following Murayama's passing, people from all walks of life across Japan have expressed their condolences in various ways. Enditem
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