The parliamentary secretary for health, labor and welfare Wednesday criticized the Tokyo tribunal held after World War II, saying it was wrong to consider the victors right and the losers wrong.
"What tribunal was the Tokyo tribunal? Both sides do wrong in a war. It is erroneous to label only countries that win as right and nations that lose as wrong," Masahiro Morioka told a meeting in Tokyo of lawmakers from various parties, echoing similar comments he made in May.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters later in the day that Morioka "should be aware of his position" as a key government official.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a news conference that Morioka's remarks differ from Tokyo's official position, which accepts the results of the tribunal.
During the lawmakers' meeting, Morioka urged Koizumi to continue visiting Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A war criminals convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East along with Japan's war dead
The visits have been a major cause of diplomatic strain between Japan and its Asian neighbors, particularly China and South Korea.
Morioka also reckoned in late May that the Class-A war criminals are no longer regarded as criminals in Japan and called the tribunal "one-sided."