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Until he became prime minister, Abe led a group of conservative Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers who denied Japan’s responsibility for World War II and glorified its invasion of Asian neighbors. Regarding the forced mobilization of women to serve as sex slaves, Abe then openly declared it a “fabrication.” But the comments he made as a lawmaker and those he makes as a prime minister have very different ramifications. His comments as a prime minister represent the official line of the Japanese government.

Addressing the Diet in October, shortly after taking office, Abe said, “The government will continue to observe the official stance (of the Kono statement) involving the issue of comfort women.” Korea, China and other Asian nations, which had been watching Abe’s ascension with concern, hoped those comments would pave the way for improved relations. But in just five months, Abe has joined the chorus of revisionist Japanese government officials.

With the U.S. House of Representatives poised to adopt a resolution seeking an apology from Japan over the issue of sex slaves, the Japanese government hired the former chairman of the House of Representatives as a lobbyist and dispatched an Abe aide to Washington to block the resolution. They have reportedly warned that adopting the resolution will have a negative effect on U.S.-Japan relations.” But U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who is visiting Japan, said, “The forced mobilization of comfort women is the most deplorable act of the war. The United States will not cooperate in any efforts to suppress this fact.”

During the five years of the Koizumi administration, Japan constantly clashed with the rest of Asia over his repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors convicted war criminals. Japan’s diplomatic style during those years was to ignore the rest of Asia, as long as it was in good standing with the U.S. Abe’s administration is heading toward the path walked by Koizumi.