Prominent Japanese academics, former diplomats, and legal experts have issued a forceful demand for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to immediately retract her controversial statements regarding Taiwan, warning that her rhetoric risks reviving militaristic tendencies in Japan. The collective condemnation emerged during a press conference organized by the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, a civic group dedicated to preserving Japan’s postwar pacifist values.
The scholars asserted that Takaichi’s parliamentary comments represent a fundamental departure from Japan’s longstanding diplomatic position on Taiwan and directly violate both postwar international agreements and the 1972 China-Japan Joint Statement. Particularly alarming to the group was the Prime Minister’s suggestion that Japan might assume a wartime posture in response to potential Taiwan contingencies—a stance they characterize as unprecedented and dangerously reminiscent of prewar militarism.
International relations scholar Kazuhiko Togo, a former diplomat, emphasized that the Taiwan-related commitments in the 1972 agreement resulted from meticulous bilateral negotiations and remain foundational to Sino-Japanese relations. Political economist Kazuhiko Uekusa criticized the Prime Minister’s contradictory explanations of her remarks, noting that she initially claimed they didn’t represent the government’s unified view before asserting they aligned with Japan’s traditional diplomatic position.
Takakage Fujita, secretary-general of the association, highlighted that his organization has consistently advocated for reflection on Japan’s wartime aggression and adherence to peaceful principles since its establishment in 2013. Professor Emeritus Masakatsu Adachi of Kanto Gakuin University warned that Takaichi’s approach effectively strengthens domestic information control and foreign intelligence gathering—measures that traditionally precede conflict engagement.
The collective statement concluded that current tensions stem primarily from Japanese provocations, yet the government has adopted an unjustified ‘victim’ posture that hinders resolution. They urged immediate retraction and acknowledgment that Taiwan matters represent China’s internal affairs.