Preparing for the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, the Policy Research Council met on August 21 to discuss comfort women issues, and decided to call on the government to formulate a new statement from the Chief Cabinet Secretary to replace the "Kono Statement" of 1993 that acknowledged coercion in the recruiting of comfort women.

The decision came after the government's expert-level "Study Team on the Details Leading to the Drafting of the Kono Statement etc." issued a report in June that clarified the prior negotiations and coordination between the governments of Japan and South Korea when the statement was published, and after the Asahi Shimbun acknowledged errors and withdrew articles based on testimony by Mr. Seiji Yoshida regarding the coercion of comfort women. Policy Research Council Chairperson Sanae Takaichi is going to draft the request, which will be delivered to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga shortly.

The meeting heard explanations from relevant ministries and agencies about the dialogue with South Korea over comfort women and issues to be addressed in the future. Many members in attendance voiced the need for a new statement that reflects more accurate information.

Policy Research Council Chairperson Takaichi said, "There has been erroneous information communicated to the international community that has harmed and will continue to harm the honor and reputation of Japan and its people, and we must extinguish it." "We seek the publication of a new statement based on facts that have been identified in new research," she emphasized. She went on to speak about the importance of actively communicating correct historical facts to the international community to restore the reputation and honor of Japan.