Japan’s defence minister apologises for remarks on atomic bomb attacks

JAPAN’S defence minister apologised yesterday for comments about the 1945 US atomic bomb attacks on the country that outraged survivors and drew criticism from the ruling bloc ahead of a key election in July.

Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma said he had not meant to offend the victims when he said on Saturday that the bombings “couldn’t be helped” because they had brought World War II to an end and prevented the Soviet Union from entering the war against Japan.

“If my remarks were seen as lacking regard for the feelings of atomic bomb victims, then I am sorry,” he told a news conference.

On Saturday, Kyuma had said in a speech: “My understanding is that it ended the war and that it couldn’t be helped. I don’t hold a grudge against the United States.”

The remarks drew condemnation from victims of the August 6, 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and the August 9 attack on Nagasaki, which together killed more than 210,000 people by the end of the year.

Some opposition parties demanded Kyuma’s resignation. Five groups representing Nagasaki bomb survivors yesterday asked Kyuma, elected from a Nagasaki constituency, not to attend a peace ceremony on the anniversary of the bombing next month.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would not fire Kyuma, although he called the bombings “an unforgivable act”, but ruling party executives urged Kyuma to apologise to minimise damage ahead of the upper house election on July 29.