Statesman Quotes

The manner in which one endures what must be endured is more important than the thing that must be endured.

The greatest mistake I made was not to die in office.

The great corrupter of public man is the ego. Looking at the mirror distracts one's attention from the problem.

The first requirement of a statesman is that he be dull.

Negotiation in the classic diplomatic sense assumes parties more anxious to agree than to disagree.

Negotiating in the classic diplomatic sense assumes parties more anxious to agree than to disagree.

It is worse than immoral, it's a mistake.

If we learn the art of yielding what must be yielded to the changing present, we can save the best of the past.

I learned from the example of my father that the manner in which one endures what must be endured is more important than the thing that must be endured.

Great Britain has lost an empire and has not yet found a role.

A memorandum is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer.

I will undoubtedly have to seek what is happily known as gainful employment, which I am glad to say does not describe holding public office.

Controversial proposals, once accepted, soon become hallowed.

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.

No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies.

Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.

To serve as prime minister while being too mindful of the approval rating is like serving as a prime minister on a roller coaster. What is important, I believe, is that I really act on promises that I make and leave results. Leave a track record and show that to the Japanese public, who will, at the

To protect people's lives and keep our children safe, we must implement public-works spending and do so proudly. If possible, I'd like to see the Bank of Japan purchase all of the construction bonds that we need to issue to cover the cost. That would also forcefully circulate money in the market. Th

The visits Prime Minister Koizumi made to the Yasukuni Shrine, I believe, had nothing to do with approval ratings. He paid respects at the Yasukuni Shrine to pay respects to the people of Japan who fought and lost their lives for the country and to pray for the peace of their souls.

The Senkaku islands are inherently Japanese territory. I want to show my strong determination to prevent this from changing.

The Japan-U.S. alliance is an irreplaceable alliance. And I would like to further consolidate and broaden that alliance.

The 20th century was a century in which human rights were infringed upon in numerous parts of the world, and Japan also bears responsibility in that regard. I believe that we have to look at our own history with humility and think about our responsibility.

Japan's beautiful seas and its territory are under threat, and young people are having trouble finding hope in the future amid economic slump. I promise to protect Japan's land and sea, and the lives of the Japanese people no matter what.

I will aim to restore the Japan-U.S. alliance and Japan's strong diplomatic capabilities. Japan can't pursue a strong foreign policy without strengthening its alliance with the United States.

I think it is the responsibility of anyone involved in politics to always think of what Japan can do to contribute more to the peace and stability not just of Japan and the region but of the entire world.

I swear I will do everything in my power to change the situation in Tibet where human rights are being suppressed. Tibet seeks freedom and democracy and we agree on those values.

I have to express sympathy from the bottom of my heart to those people who were taken as wartime comfort women. As a human being, I would like to express my sympathies, and also as prime minister of Japan I need to apologize to them.

I have experienced failure as a politician and for that very reason, I am ready to give everything for Japan.

I believe it is important that we Japanese write a constitution for ourselves that would reflect the shape of the country we consider desirable in the 21st century.

Haven't we put off problems without clarifying Japan's will to protect the lives and assets of its people and territory with its own hands, and merely accepted the benefits of economic prosperity?