"We Will Not Evade Historical Truth"... Yohei Kono, Author of Japan's 'Kono Statement' Apologizing for Comfort Women, Passes Away

Passed Away at 89, Mourned Across Japan

Legacy Revisited Amid Japan's Shift to the Right

Yohei Kono, former Speaker of Japan's House of Representatives and the figure behind the "Kono Statement"—the first official acknowledgment and apology for the existence and coercion of the Japanese military's "comfort women" system—passed away on June 8. He was 89 years old.

On June 11, Japanese media outlets including Kyodo News simultaneously reported his passing. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kono was the son of Ichiro Kono, a former Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, and grew up in a prominent political family. In 1967, he entered politics by running in the House of Representatives election for Kanagawa's 3rd district, his father's constituency, winning the seat and inheriting his father's political base.

Former House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono is posing for an interview in 2015. Tokyo, Japan – Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Kono became widely known for the "Kono Statement" announced in 1993. While serving as Chief Cabinet Secretary under Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, he issued a statement based on the Japanese government's investigation into the comfort women issue, apologizing for having "severely damaged the honor and dignity of women."

At the time, Kono expressed, "We will not evade the truth of this history; rather, we wish to face it squarely as a lesson for the future. We once again express our firm determination never to repeat the same mistake." The original text of this statement remains preserved by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving as a symbolic document. Within the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kono consistently emphasized the importance of improving relations with East Asian countries, including South Korea and China, as well as addressing historical issues. As a result, he has been classified as a leading moderate within the LDP.

In addition to his role in addressing historical issues, Kono is evaluated as a significant figure in Japanese political history. When the LDP lost its grip on power for the first time since its founding in 1993, he served as party president and worked to rebuild the "opposition LDP." He later held posts as Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Japanese media outlets also mourned his death. Particularly, as Japanese politics shifted further to the right following former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, there has been renewed attention to Kono's legacy. The Asahi Shimbun published a commemorative article titled "Remembering Yohei Kono, a Politician Who Held Fast to Disappearing Convictions," reflecting on his life. The Tokyo Shimbun, known for its progressive stance, referred to him as "a man of conviction who embodied dovish conservatism," and remembered him as a politician who upheld pacifist principles until the end.

On the other hand, Japan's conservative circles offered a completely different assessment of his historical views. The Sankei Shimbun, reporting on his death the previous day, stated, "Despite the lack of evidence supporting the claim that the Japanese military forcibly recruited comfort women, he mentioned coercion, leaving lingering controversy."

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on her X (formerly Twitter) account the previous day, paid tribute to Kono, stating, "His sincere approach to historical issues should be remembered as one of the cornerstones of Japan's peaceful diplomacy." However, she did not directly mention the content of the "Kono Statement."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.