Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary following the extraordinary Cabinet meeting (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga

I would like to give an overview of the recent extraordinary Cabinet meeting. The Prime Minister made a statement regarding his decision to reshuffle the Cabinet, following which all members of the Cabinet resigned. From now a meeting of the leaders of the ruling parties is scheduled to take place at 1:30 pm.

Q&As

• The last meeting of the Cabinet
• The day to commemorate victory in the War of Resistance against Japan in China

REPORTER: Today was the last meeting of the Cabinet. What did the Prime Minister state in the meeting?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Prime Minister noted that the Cabinet had served a total of 617 days without a single minister leaving the Cabinet, which is the longest period in post-war history for a Cabinet to remain unchanged. The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation to all the Cabinet members. He noted that it was thanks to their concerted and integrated efforts to engage in reforms that tangible results had been achieved and could be seen by the public, including in areas such as economic revitalization, diplomacy and review of national security.

REPORTER: I have a question on a different subject. China has designated September 3 as the day to commemorate victory in the War of Resistance against Japan and starting with this year a large ceremony has taken place. Can I ask for the views of the Government about this ceremony?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: As the ceremony is a domestic Chinese matter I would like to refrain from making any comment on behalf of the Government of Japan. If I were to say more, it would be to note that Japan and China are both nations that are responsible for the peace and prosperity of the international community and it is therefore important for both countries to work together to build future-oriented cooperative relations as a means of addressing common issues faced by the international community. In any case, there is no change in the position of the Japanese Government regarding historical issues, including those pertaining to World War II. Furthermore, in our view, our post-war actions as a peace-loving nation are also highly regarded by the international community. The Government will continue to pay close attention to recent trends in China relating to historical issues, including the matter that you mentioned.

(Abridged)