Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• The issues related to the right to collective self-defense
• The issues related to the Kono Statement

REPORTER: My question concerns the right to collective self-defense. I would like to ask about the Prime Minister’s remarks during today's Budget Committee meeting of the House of Representatives. Regarding changes to the interpretation of the Constitution regarding the execution of the right to collective self-defense, the Prime Minister expressed his intention to discuss the matter in the Diet prior to obtaining Cabinet approval. Does the Government consider that it should hold such discussions in an official session  such as a special committee meeting? What kind of meeting do you have in mind?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: I believe that we will proceed with discussions as usual. In other words, once we receive the report from the Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security, we will discuss the matter while coordinating with the ruling parties. Furthermore, we believe that we will naturally discuss the matter in the Diet. That being said, we have not yet received the report so we have not made any specific decisions. However, we of course intend to carry out discussion in the Diet in any case.

REPORTER: During today's meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives you spoke about consultations with the Republic of Korea (ROK) for the Kono Statement. You said that you would like to thoroughly examine the process leading up to the drafting of the Kono Statement. Would this involve summoning Mr. Yohei Kono, who drafted the statement, to the Diet, and asking him to provide an explanation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Today I was asked a number of questions concerning the Kono Statement during the Budget Committee meeting. Firstly, during the process of drafting the Kono Statement, the testimonies from former comfort women were provided on the condition of confidentiality. Therefore, I believe that Japan must keep the promises it made. In this sense, we must ascertain the contents of the testimonies while maintaining their confidentiality. Furthermore, at the recent Budget Committee meeting, former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara mentioned the possibility that the Japanese Government engaged in consultations with the ROK when finalizing the statement. Moreover, Mr. Ishihara also said that although the historical issues between Japan and the ROK were at one point settled, recently the ROK Government raised the issue again. Furthermore, he stated that it is extremely regrettable that Japan’s good intentions at the time have been disregarded. In light of this, the Government is considering creating a team to ascertain if consultations between Japan and the ROK did in fact take place. We will create a completely confidential team within the Government to determine the circumstances at the time. Based on this, we will consider how to handle the testimonies while maintaining their confidentiality.

REPORTER: I would like to ask another question on the same topic. Could you tell us exactly who the members of the team will be?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: We would like to create a completely confidential team to determine the circumstances at the time and we would like to include experts on the issue in the team.

REPORTER: Please allow me to ask another question on this topic. I understand that you have always held various consultation experts in relation to the understanding of history. Will the creation of this team bring about any changes?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Personally, I have met with a number of people to ask for their views on the understanding of history regarding this issue. However, this time I think that ultimately it is necessary for a small group of people to ascertain the testimonies.

REPORTER: Am I then right to understand that you will lead the team and it will consist of selected experts on the matter?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA:  It will not be such a thing . Rather we are considering a team comprised of a small number of people who will work under strict confidentiality.

REPORTER: I would like to ask another question on the same topic. When do you expect the team will complete its verification? Also, what will you do with the results? Will you make them public, for example?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: In my opinion we very much have to clarify the facts on this issue. In light of this, as I said during the Diet session, we will submit the results, especially those on issues concerning consultations between Japan and the ROK, if requested by the Diet. I imagine that this will also take place under strict confidentiality.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: If I may I would like to return to the topic of the Kono Statement. I understand that the Government plans to announce the Prime Minister's statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. Would the team's verification results influence the statement, or be reflected in it in some way?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: No, it is of the utmost importance that we thoroughly clarify the facts first. For example, the first Abe administration made a Cabinet decision that there was no evidence to suggest coercion. Furthermore, former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ishihara made comments about the Kono Statement the other day. The points of his comments day were that no background research was conducted on the testimonies of the 16 former comfort women and that there was a possibility of  consultations between Japan and the ROK in finalizing the statement. Nonetheless, the testimonies from former comfort women were provided on the condition of confidentiality. As such, I believe that Japan must therefore keep the promises it made. However, I believe that it is important that we ascertain the matter, including whether consultations did in fact take place between the two Governments.

REPORTER: Does the Government consequently intend to take further steps and ascertain the actual credibility of the testimonies by the former comfort women? Could you also tell us what impact the Government believes this will have on Japan-ROK relations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: In a sense, I think it is natural.. Mr. Ishihara was a Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary at the time of the drafting of the statement. Furthermore, during his recent public testimony at the Budget Committee meeting, Mr. Ishihara mentioned the possibility that there were consultations between Japan and the ROK. He said the Government may have given consideration to the ROK when drafting the statement. And this stabilized Japan-ROK relations. Mr. Ishihara also noted that with the passage of time the ROK Government has raised past issues again. He stated that it is extremely regrettable that the good intentions of the Japanese Government at the time have been disregarded. Therefore, I think it is important that we ascertain the testimonies, bearing in mind Mr. Ishihara’s statement.