Japan yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of its surrender in World War II, with Emperor Naruhito expressing “deep remorse” over his country’s wartime actions at a somber annual ceremony curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Naruhito pledged to reflect on the war’s events and expressed the hope that the tragedy would never be repeated.
There was no word of apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who gave thanks for the sacrifices of the Japanese war dead, but had nothing to say about the suffering of Japan’s neighbors.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated,” Naruhito said in a short speech at the event in Tokyo marking the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender on Aug. 15, 1945.
Amid virus fears and worries about the fading memories of the fast-aging war generation, about 500 participants, reduced from 6,200 last year, mourned the dead with a minute of silence. Masks were required, and there was no singing of the Kimigayo national anthem.
Naruhito has promised to follow in the footsteps of his father, who devoted his 30-year career to making amends for a war fought in the name of Hirohito, the current emperor’s grandfather.
Abe has increasingly sought to whitewash Japan’s brutal past since taking office in December 2012.
He has not acknowledged Japan’s wartime hostilities during Aug. 15 speeches, which had previously been a nearly 20-year tradition that began with the 1995 apology of then-Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama.
Abe, in a largely domestic-focused speech, said the peace that Japan enjoys today is built on the sacrifices of those who died in the war.
He pledged that Japan would reflect on lessons from history and would not repeat the war devastation.
He listed damage inflicted on Japan and its people, including the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, massive firebombings of Tokyo and the fierce battle of Okinawa.
Abe pledged to play a greater role in tackling global problems.
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