Friday, May 19

MIRO CERNETIG
China Bureau; With a report from Reuters
Thursday, May 18, 2000

Beijing -- Trying to blunt fears across Asia that he is stoking Japanese militarism, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori apologized yesterday for seeming to endorse the view of nationalists that Japan is a "divine country" whose emperor has a pipeline to the gods.

"I offer a heartfelt apology for any misunderstanding caused by these remarks," Mr. Mori said in parliament. "It is a matter of course that I, as Prime Minister, strictly uphold and respect the sovereign power, which resides with the people, and freedom of religion."

But Mr. Mori told reporters later that he would not retract the comments, which he said were meant to reflect "Japan's eternal traditional culture."

Despite the uproar, the Prime Minister said today that a general election will be held on June 25, with campaigning to start on June 13, the Jiji news agency reported.

He made the long-expected announcement during a meeting with the heads of the two other parties that make up his three-party coalition government.

Campaigning will begin as damage from the earlier statements continues. Memories of Japan's brutal occupation of China, from 1937 to 1945, as well as its conquest of other nations, cause many to worry about a resurrection of Japanese nationalism.

The invasions were fuelled by Shintoism, a religion which held that Japan's emperor had a mandate from the gods to take over Asia. After Japan's defeat 55 year ago, Emperor Hirohito was forced to acknowledge that he had no divine power, and the constitution was rewritten to separate religion and politics.

But the old militarism lives on among Japan's ultraright, who glorify the country's war history and play down documented war atrocities.

Japan's neighbours, and Western diplomats, are disturbed that a man of Mr. Mori's position would link himself to such a philosophy by saying, "We hope the Japanese people acknowledge that Japan is a divine nation centring on the emperor."

Mr. Mori made the statement Monday to a group of legislators and Shinto leaders in a speech marking the 30th anniversary of the Parliamentarian Conference for Shinto Politics League, of which he is a founding member.

"It makes you wonder what Prime Minister Mori really thinks," a Western diplomat said. "If Mori doesn't believe the emperor is a god, then why would he have made that statement in the first place? His apology won't make this issue go away. Japan's neighbours will remember this gaffe for a long time."

Negative reaction to Mr. Mori's comments continued to be heard in Japan and throughout Asia.

The influential Mainichi Shimbun newspaper declared in an editorial: "All you can say is that he lacks the qualities of a prime minister."

In Tokyo, four major opposition parties called for Mr. Mori's resignation and the chief secretary of his cabinet, Mikio Aoki, informed reporters that he has "told the Prime Minister to be careful with his comments in the future."

China's turbulent relationship with Japan, marred by Japan's refusal to apologize for invading China, is also showing further signs of strain as the Chinese public hears about Mr. Mori's remarks.

Anti-Japanese sentiment is already rising as state-run newspapers attack Japan's giant Toshiba empire over a business dispute regarding computers. Toshiba has been pilloried as a symbol of Japanese aggressiveness.

Japan is likely to face more attacks from China's government today. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, who has called China an expansionist Asian power, is planning to attend the swearing-in this weekend of Taiwan's new President, Chen Shui-bian. That will anger Beijing, which views Mr. Chen as a closet separatist who seeks to keep Taiwan from returning to China's control.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mori had other troubles yesterday. He filed a $140,000 libel suit against a magazine that alleged he had been arrested in a brothel in 1958.

Despite his recent troubles, Mr. Mori's dominant Liberal Democratic Party is expected to retain its hold on power in the elections for the powerful lower house.