Tomiichi Murayama, who served as prime minister from June 1994 through January 1996, died Friday, a source said. He was 101. Kyodo News reports.

Murayama became the first socialist prime minister in 47 years, leading an unprecedented alliance of long-time political rivals — his Social Democratic Party and the conservative Liberal Democratic Party plus the now-defunct small LDP splinter group New Party Sakigake.

When he was prime minister, he issued a statement in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War, II in which he expressed Japan's "deep remorse" and "heartfelt apology" for "the tremendous damage and suffering" inflicted by its colonial rule and aggression.