Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is reportedly planning to withhold the announcement of a message marking the 80th anniversary of the postwar era on September 2, the day Japan signed the instrument of surrender.
Kyodo News reported on August 28 that Prime Minister Ishiba had solidified this plan. The decision appears to have been influenced by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's plan to hold a general assembly of its lawmakers on September 2, during which the results of the July 20 House of Councillors election defeat will be reported.
The conservative faction within the party, which has been urging Prime Minister Ishiba to step down, has opposed the issuance of a postwar 80th anniversary message by the prime minister. Kyodo News explained that there are concerns these members might strongly object if the message is announced on the same day as the assembly.
Prime Minister Ishiba is expected to determine the timing of the message after monitoring the internal situation within the party. Previously, some media outlets speculated that although Ishiba did not issue a message on the anniversary of Japan's defeat, he might do so on September 2. Traditionally, since 1995, Japanese prime ministers have issued statements around August 15, the anniversary of the defeat, every ten years after passing them through a Cabinet meeting.
Instead of issuing a Cabinet statement, Prime Minister Ishiba has been considering releasing the message in a personal capacity. At the memorial ceremony for the war dead on August 15, he drew attention by mentioning "reflection" for the first time in 13 years as a Japanese prime minister.
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