Japan is the only country in the world to have suffered the ravages of atomic bombing. That experience left an indelible mark on the hearts of our people, making them passionately determined to renounce all wars.

It is the earnest hope of our people that the world may see the day when all nuclear weapons are abolished.

All through the years since World War II, the Japanese people have, I am convinced, made strenuous efforts to preserve and promote world peace, contributing to the progress and prosperity of mankind.

Subsequently, the Japanese people experienced a variety of vicissitudes and were involved in international disputes, eventually, for the first time in their history, experiencing the horrors of modern warfare on their own soil during World War II.

It is only natural that for any statesman at the helm of any government the question of his country's security should be a concern of the utmost importance.

He left an indelible mark. He'll certainly be missed.