Abe on Friday expressed "utmost grief" for the suffering Japan inflicted in the war, but said future generations should not have to keep apologising for the mistakes of the past. He offered no fresh apology of his own.
"Looking back at the past, together with deep remorse over the war, I pray that this tragedy of war will not be repeated and together with the people, express my deep condolences for those who fell in battle and in the ravages of war, and pray for world peace and the further prosperity of our country," Akihito, 81, said at a memorial service on the anniversary of the day his father, Hirohito, announced Japan's defeat.
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 towards Japan's past.
Akihito had expressed remorse previously but not at the annual service. The emperor is banned by the constitution from any political role, so his remarks need to be carefully nuanced.
jpost.com by Reuters
15/8/15
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70th anniversary of end of WWII is marked in Japan...
ReplyDeleteJapanese Emperor Akihito has marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two with an expression of "deep remorse" over the conflict, a departure from his annual script that could be seen as a subtle rebuke of conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Mr Abe yesterday expressed "utmost grief" for the suffering Japan inflicted in the war, but said future generations should not have to keep apologising for the mistakes of the past.
He offered no fresh apology of his own.
"Together with deep remorse over the war, I pray that this tragedy will not be repeated in the future and together with the people, express my deep condolences for the war dead and those who were affected, and pray for the peace and further prosperity of our country," Emperor Akihito, 81, said at a memorial service on the anniversary of the day his father, Hirohito, announced Japan's defeat.
Emperor 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 Mr Abe appears to be pushing for a less apologetic tone towards Japan's past.
Emperor Akihito had expressed remorse previously but not at the annual service. The emperor is banned by the constitution from any political role, so his remarks need to be carefully nuanced.
Philippines says WWII foe Japan now trusted friend
Meanwhile, the Philippines has said it had rebuilt a "strong friendship" with former foe Japan, as its neighbours criticised Mr Abe for failing to properly apologise for Tokyo's aggression during World War II.
Since the war, Japan had "acted with compassion" which led to a relationship "characterised by trust and unfailing support in so many fields", Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement.
"This 70-year history demonstrates to the world that through their relentless efforts, peoples of two countries can attain a remarkable achievement in overcoming issues of the past and establishing strong friendship," he said..............http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0815/721419-japan-world-war-two/
15/8/15