Japanese emperor expresses remorse over WWII
Print Edition
Japanese Emperor Akihito has marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II with an expression of 鈥渄eep remorse鈥 over the conflict, a departure from his annual script which could be seen as a subtle rebuke of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe on Friday expressed 鈥渦tmost grief,鈥 but said future generations should not have to keep apologizing for the mistakes of the past. He offered no fresh apology of his own.
鈥淩eflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse over the last war, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated,鈥 Akihito, 81, said on Saturday at a memorial service on the anniversary of the day his father Hirohito announced Japan鈥檚 defeat.
鈥淭ogether with all of our people, I now pay my heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives in the war, both on the battlefields and elsewhere, and pray for world peace and for the continuing development of our country.鈥
The legacy of the war still haunts relations with China and South Korea, which suffered under Japan鈥檚 brutal occupation and colonial rule before Tokyo鈥檚 defeat in 1945.
The soft-spoken Akihito has often urged Japan not to forget the suffering of the war and tried to promote reconciliation with Asian countries. His comments have attracted increased attention at a time when Abe appears to be pushing for a less apologetic tone.
Akihito had expressed remorse before, but not at the annual service. The constitution bans the emperor from any political role, so his remarks need to be carefully nuanced.
On Saturday, Abe sent a ritual cash offering to Yasukuni Shrine for war dead but did not visit the shrine, a symbol of Tokyo鈥檚 wartime militarism.
While Abe, who has said he wants to repair ties with China and South Korea, did not visit Yasukuni in person, three of his cabinet ministers did.
China鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said that Saturday鈥檚 visit 鈥渞eflects Japan鈥檚 seriously wrong attitude to historical issues,鈥 while protesters at a Seoul rally burnt pictures of Abe.
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