Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his apology to Japan for failing to fulfill his duties as his Cabinet resigned en masse Sept. 25 and his year-old administration came to an end.

"I sincerely apologize to the public for not having been able to complete my duties," Abe, 53, said in his last statement as premier.

At the same time, he noted his achievements in pushing forward his "beautiful nation" vision of freeing Japan from its "postwar regime."

"It has been a short period of just one year, but (I have) accomplished reforms that past administrations throughout the postwar years have failed to achieve," Abe said.

He cited the first revision to the 1947 Fundamental Law for Education, the enactment of a law for referendums on revising the Constitution and the upgrading of the Defense Agency into a ministry.