Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is carefully considering whether to release a statement this year to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.
While conservative members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party oppose releasing such a statement, the party's coalition partner, Komeito, is calling on the prime minister to send out a message that reiterates the country's commitment to being a pacifist nation.
"No decisions have been made yet on whether to release a new statement," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference on Friday.
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