Japanese PM Shinzo Abe reaffirms apologies over ‘immeasurable war damage’
“Japan has repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war,” he said in a statement on the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat.
“In order to manifest such feelings through concrete actions, we have engraved in our hearts the histories of suffering of the people in Asia as our neighbours,” he said.
Abe’s message comes a day before the country commemorates the end of the bloody conflict whose scars continue to dog Japan’s relations with South Korea and China. Many in those countries say Japan hasn’t done enough to atone for its militarism.
Abe sought to balance the need for better regional relations with the wishes of nationalist backers, who say Japan should not have to apologise indefinitely.
Abe said that Japan must never again resort to any form of threat or force and that the country had abandoned colonial rule for ever, citing a key phrase from statements by former prime ministers Tomiichi Murayama in 1995 and Junichiro Koizumi in 2005.
The governments of South Korea and China will parse the statement to gauge the level of contrition.
They have repeatedly raised concerns that the Abe government was seeking to whitewash Japan’s militant past.
“Japanese, across future generations, must squarely face the history of the past,” Abe said. “We have the responsibility to inherit the past, in all humbleness, and pass it on to the future.”
Abe had repeatedly said that he would upheld previous prime ministers’ apologies, but saw no need to reiterate them. His speeches have often focused on Japan’s positive contributions to the region since the war, and on his plans for the country to take a more pro-active security stance.
