Yohei Kono, the politician who issued a landmark apology for the Japanese military’s sexual abuse of “comfort women” during the Second World War, died on Monday. He was 89.
Kono, who championed friendly relations with China, South Korea and other Asian countries that endured Japanese wartime atrocities, passed away from old age, according to the office of his son, former foreign minister Taro Kono.
As chief cabinet secretary in 1993, Kono issued a historic apology to tens of thousands of so-called “comfort women”, acknowledging the Japanese military’s involvement in forcing them into frontline brothels. His statement followed a government investigation and paved the way for a broader apology for wartime atrocities issued in 1995 by then prime minister Tomiichi Murayama.
The statements were seen internationally as crucial steps towards Japan confronting its wartime past, helping improve relations with its Asian neighbours. However, they are now unpopular among Japanese conservatives who argue that Japan should move past negative historical narratives to restore national pride.
Kono endured growing criticism and attempts to undermine his 1993 apology, particularly during the leadership of Shinzo Abe. He warned that any effort to whitewash historical facts “hurts the Japanese people’s reputation”.
Kono was born in 1937 and entered politics in 1967 following the death of his father, Ichiro Kono, a prominent lawmaker in the governing Liberal Democratic Party. He held key political positions, including speaker of the lower house – the more powerful chamber of Japan’s parliament – and president of the party before retiring in 2009.
In recent years, Kono remained politically active, frequently visiting China with political and business delegations to help stabilise bilateral ties. He was reportedly considering another trip to China earlier this year, despite relations between Tokyo and Beijing plummeting after prime minister Sanae Takaichi infuriated Beijing last November by suggesting a hypothetical Chinese military action against Taiwan would justify Japanese troop engagement.
