His statement will follow a long line of declarations by prime ministers and chief cabinet secretaries expressing sincere remorse over the events of WWII. Twenty years ago, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, the head of the Socialist Party, acknowledged that “Japan, through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries,” particularly in Asia.
当然，安倍绝非首位面临如此挑战的日本领导人。在他以前，无数首相和内阁官方长官都对二战中所发生的事件表达了诚挚的忏悔。二十年前，时任首相、社会党党首村山富市承认“日本的殖民统治和侵略给许多国家的人民造成了严重伤害和苦难，”特别是亚洲国家。他接着表示“感到深深的忏悔”，向受害者致以“衷心的歉意”。