Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• The issues related to comfort women
• The issue related to the right to self-collective defense
• The issues related to the article of the Wall Street Journal regarding the comments of Special Advisor to the Cabinet Honda
• The issue related to Trans-Pacific Partnership

REPORTER: I have a question concerning your responses to the Diet in the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives this afternoon. You were asked whether the Government would verify the testimonies of the 16 Korean women, which formed the basis of the Kono Statement. You responded that the Government will consider it while maintaining confidentiality. Were you implying that the Government will engage in such verification?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: If you transcribe the record of my response in the Diet, you will see that I was responding to a question from Diet member Mr. Hiroshi Yamada, who stated, "Although the submission of the testimonies is important, in your response please include whether the Government intends to create a team and whether the testimonies will be verified by experts." I responded that in actual fact historians and experts are already engaged in research on this issue, which is something we have repeatedly stated. I also noted that former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara had made a statement to the committee. Furthermore, I stated that the Government would seek to consider the request while maintaining the confidentiality of the testimonies.

REPORTER: On a related point, you have stated on numerous occasions such as press conferences to date that the Government would like experts to examine this issue academically. Can you confirm that there is no change to the Government's stance?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: There is no change to that stance.

REPORTER: So are we to understand that the Government will not be verifying the contents of the Kono Statement?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: This is not a question of whether the Government will or will not engage in verification. (Abridged) Regarding this issue, former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara made a statement. What I said was that the Government would like to consider to what extent it can submit the information and how to handle the information during the verification process while maintaining confidentiality. (Abridged) Therefore, we will base our considerations on the need for confidentiality.

REPORTER: On a related note, today former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara gave public testimony concerning the background of the compilation of the Kono Statement. The point he made clear today was that no background research relating to the statement was conducted. What are your thoughts on this point?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As I stated, the first Abe administration issued a Cabinet decision that there was no evidence to suggest coercion. I don't believe what former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara said in the Diet today is so different from that decision.

REPORTER: I have a related question. If that is the case, how credible do you consider the Kono Statement to be?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Regarding the credibility, I just noted former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara's statement. I also stated that the Government would like to consider how to maintain confidentiality in the reexamination process.

REPORTER: So you are saying that the Government's recognition is that verification is necessary?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Yes, that is what I am saying.

REPORTER: I have a question on a different matter. I would like to ask about the Prime Minister's responses in the Diet as well. Today the Prime Minister responded to a question from Diet member Katsuya Okada of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) concerning the right to collective self-defense. The Prime Minister stated that once a Cabinet decision is made on changes to the interpretation of the Constitution, he would then like the Diet to discuss this issue. There is already a great deal of opposition on this matter, particularly among opposition parties. They said that the Prime Minister is disregarding the Diet. I would like to ask once again whether the schedule and process are appropriate.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: It is as the Prime Minister stated. Following the submission of the report of the Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security, it is expected that the ruling parties and the Government will engage in coordination on this matter. This will ultimately lead to a Cabinet decision.

REPORTER: How do you view the fact that Diet discussions will not be held between the submission of the report and the Cabinet decision?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Naturally, once a Cabinet decision is made, we will hold Diet discussions. Various procedures will be required, including the submission of a draft bill. Conversely, I would point out the following. Would it not be unnatural for the Diet to discuss an issue that the Government has yet to issue its own policy on?

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I have a question on the matter relating to Special Advisor to the Cabinet Etsuro Honda. Have you since spoken with Mr. Honda regarding the article in The Wall Street Journal?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I was in the Diet until a short while ago and during that time Special Advisor Honda contacted the Office of the Executive Secretary. I received a report that Special Advisor Honda said, "I telephoned to make a complaint. I told them that the article was entirely lacking any balance and that the contents also create misunderstanding about Abenomics." He further stated that "The Wall Street Journal indicated that it is prepared to issue a correction."

REPORTER: I have another question. Does that mean the Government of Japan will consider the matter closed, if The Wall Street Journal responds in this way?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I don't think it is yet time for the Government to become involved. Special Advisor Honda was interviewed one-to-one. Also it was in English. I believe the issues are as Mr. Honda said in his press conference.

REPORTER: To follow up, Mr. Honda said the article was lacking any balance and that The Wall Street Journal is prepared to issue a correction on Abenomics and other points. So what are the specific points that the newspaper misreported and what kind of corrections is it prepared to make?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I only received a report about this matter and I am not yet aware of the details. However, as I stated this morning, Special Advisor Honda said, "I was shocked when I read the article. The article does not communicate at all what I really meant. I never said anything to suggest that there are militaristic intentions behind Abenomics. In regard to the visit to Yasukuni Shrine as well, I told the interviewer to ask the person in charge."  I consider there are such various issues because that is what he said before my press conference this morning.

REPORTER: Let us put the political principles and thoughts of the Prime Minister and the Abe administration to one side. To be perfectly honest, I find that this story and the news yesterday about Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Seiichi Eto give a very poor impression. What are your thoughts on this point?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As I said yesterday, Government officials in key positions should not express their personal opinions on such matters as some people may mistakenly think that these opinions represent the views of the Government. However, in the case of Special Advisor Honda, he gave an interview on a one-to-one basis. (Abridged) It is therefore only natural for him to first make a complaint himself.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Returning to the issue of the Kono Statement, you just stated that a team would verify the testimonies. Depending on the results of the verification, would there be a possibility that the Government would revise the Kono Statement?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Well, firstly, today we heard the testimony of former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara. Also, until now I have stated in this press conference that in actual fact historians and experts are engaged in research on this issue. I have also said that it is important to leave research to such people. Today Diet member Yamada stated, "Please respond to my question including whether the Government intends to create a team and whether the testimonies will be verified by experts." In response, I stated that the Government would seek to consider the request, while maintaining the confidentiality of the testimonies. That is all.

REPORTER: But could a revision be possible depending on the results of the examination?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Well, the question by Diet member Yamada was about the way the testimonies were formed at the time. As these testimonies were provided on the condition of confidentiality, I believe that the Government should uphold this pledge and give full consideration to maintaining confidentiality. I said that consideration to maintaining confidentiality is necessary. Therefore, to the request by Mr. Yamanda, I responded that the Government would seek to consider it   while maintaining the confidentiality of the testimonies.

REPORTER: I am still not clear on what will take place.  In short, will the Government initiate new work on this issue, issue new instructions, or create a new team?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Diet member Yamada requested that the Government verify and study the testimonies it received from former comfort women. As I just stated, I responded that the Government should bear in mind that the testimonies were provided on the condition of confidentiality. In addition, however, I noted that former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara also made a statement on this matter, and therefore the Government will consider how it can handle the testimonies while maintaining their confidentiality. In response to my statement Diet member Yamada stated, "So you are talking about a verification that is conditional on their confidentiality. Although the submission of the testimonies is important, in your response, please include whether the Government intends to create a team and whether the testimonies will be verified by experts." As I already noted, in response I said that in actual fact historians and experts are already engaged in research on this issue. Furthermore, I noted that former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara made a statement also on this issue. In this context, Mr. Yamada made a request to the Government. I explained, therefore, that the Government would seek to consider the request while maintaining the confidentiality of the testimonies.

REPORTER: On a related note, will the Government therefore place confidential obligation on experts and historians and then leave them to engage in study and verification under such conditions?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The testimonies were provided on the condition of confidentiality and I think that this is something that the Government should bear in mind. I stated the same thing to Mr. Yamada. It was in response to his request that I stated that the Government would seek to verify the testimonies, while maintaining their confidentiality.

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Working-level consultations are ongoing between Japan and the United States, but it appears that a large gap still remains between the two sides. What is your analysis of the factors behind this situation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Toward the upcoming ministerial meeting, which is scheduled to start on February 22, issues are currently under negotiation by working-level officials"

REPORTER: On a related note, I understand that this morning a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) parliamentary group requested that the TPP negotiations uphold the resolution that was passed by the Diet. Given that the two sides cannot reach a conclusion without making mutual concessions, how does the Government intend to maintain consistency with the Diet resolution?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government is engaging in the negotiations on the basis of that resolution.