TOKYO – Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama has died at the age of 101, local media reported.
Murayama is best remembered for his historic apology for Japan’s actions during World War II, issued on August 15, 1995. Speaking on national television, he expressed deep remorse for Japan’s colonial rule and wartime aggression, particularly in Asian countries. His apology became a standard for future Japanese leaders.
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Murayama led a coalition government of the Socialist Party and the Liberal Democratic Party from 1994 to 1996, a period marked by major challenges including the 1995 Kobe earthquake and a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway by a doomsday cult.
Born in Oita prefecture as one of 11 children to a fisherman, Murayama worked through high school, served in the military, and graduated from Meiji University in 1946. He later became secretary-general of a fisheries cooperative and entered politics, being elected to parliament in 1972.
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Despite criticism for his government’s slow response to the Kobe earthquake, Murayama remained respected for his commitment to peace and regional reconciliation. On the 25th anniversary of his apology in 2020, he stressed the importance of maintaining friendly relations with China.
Murayama resigned as prime minister in 1996, retired from politics in 2000, and spent his later years living modestly in southern Japan, keeping active through cycling.