Tokyo | Japan's former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who was known for his 1995 “Murayama statement” apologising to Asian victims of his country's aggression, died Friday. He was 101.

Murayama died at a hospital in his hometown Oita, southwestern Japan, according to a statement from Mizuho Fukushima, the head of Japan's Social Democratic Party.

As head of what was then known as the Japan Socialist Party, Murayama led a coalition government from June 1994 to January 1996.

The apology he issued as prime minister on Aug 15, 1995, marking the 50th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender ending World War II, is seen as Japan's main expression of remorse for its wartime and colonial past.

It has since been endorsed by all prime ministers until nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stopped apologising in 2013.

Murayama had criticised growing attempts by nationalist lawmakers to discredit the apology for forced prostitution by citing the lack of official wartime documents specifically stating that the government at the time systematically forced Asian women to provide sex for Japanese soldiers at military brothels