Overview

• Outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is preparing a personal statement reflecting on the causes of World War II to prevent a recurrence of its horrors.
• A government official said the message may be released during the U.N. General Assembly later this month, though the timing remains uncertain.
• Conservative members of the Liberal Democratic Party oppose issuing a new message, pointing to Shinzo Abe’s 2015 anniversary statement as the benchmark.
• Ishiba has voiced concern about rising xenophobic rhetoric and cautioned that a loss of public trust could push Japanese politics toward populism.
• A senior Ishiba administration official urged restraint to avoid burdening his successor, with an LDP leadership election expected in early October.