▁extended ▁controvers y ▁after ▁his ▁speech ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁T osh io ▁Tam og ami ' s ▁bid ▁for ▁the ▁Tokyo ▁governor ship ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁bought ▁renew ed ▁attention ▁to ▁his ▁right ist ▁views . ▁He ▁res igned ▁as ▁a ▁governor ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁Historical ▁views ▁ ▁During ▁a ▁speech ▁on ▁March ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁T osh io ▁Tam og ami ' s ▁bid ▁for ▁the ▁governor ship ▁of ▁Tokyo , ▁Hy ak uta ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Nan j ing ▁Mass acre ▁" ne ver ▁happened ", ▁and ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Tokyo ▁War ▁Cr imes ▁Tri als ▁were ▁a ▁" sh am " ▁to ▁cover ▁up ▁US ▁war ▁cr imes ▁such ▁as ▁fire b omb ing ▁and ▁the ▁atomic ▁bomb ings ▁of ▁H iro sh ima ▁and ▁Nag as aki . ▁He ▁also ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁didn ' t ▁see ▁a ▁need ▁to ▁teach ▁such ▁things ▁to ▁children , ▁as ▁they ▁should ▁be ▁taught ▁what ▁a ▁great ▁country ▁Japan ▁is . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁claims ▁about ▁the ▁Nan j ing ▁Mass acre ▁were ▁brought ▁up ▁at ▁the ▁Tokyo ▁War ▁Cr imes ▁Trib un als ▁only ▁to ▁cancel ▁out ▁the ▁cr imes ▁the ▁US ▁had ▁committed . ▁A ▁press ▁officer ▁at ▁the ▁US ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁Tokyo ▁described ▁Hy ak uta ' s ▁views ▁as ▁" pre post er ous ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁as ▁an ▁N H K ▁governor ▁he