Sunday, 16 August 2020 _Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has renewed Tokyo’s pledge not to repeat “the tragedy of war” during a ceremony making the 75th anniversary of his country’s surrender in World War II, but refused to offer an apology for “mistakes of the past.”
“Never to repeat the tragedy of war. We will continue to remain committed to this resolute pledge,” Abe, wearing a face mask, told the ceremony commemorating the war dead on Saturday.
The premier, however, refused to apologize for the sufferings of his country’s neighbors during the war, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, arguing that future generations should not have to keep apologizing for mistakes of the past.
Abe sent a ritual offering to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine for war dead, but avoided a personal visit that would anger China and South Korea.
The shrine is seen by Beijing and Seoul as a symbol of Japan’s past military aggression.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a speech marking the occasion that his government was always ready to discuss history disputes with Tokyo.
Abe has not gone to Yasukuni in person since a December 2013 visit.
Instead, four Japanese cabinet ministers paid their respects in person at Yasukuni on Saturday.
Shuichi Takatori, a member of Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said he made the offering on behalf of the prime minister as party leader, delivering a message that Abe “paid his respects from the heart to the war dead and prayed for the rest and permanent peace of their souls.”
The South Korean Foreign Ministry, however, expressed “deep disappointment and concern” over the ministers’ visit and said Japan’s leaders must show their “deep remorse through action.”
Thousands of people also gathered at the shrine to pay their respects in queues that quickly became congested, despite the markers and signs seeking to maintain social distance due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The government-sponsored ceremony, however, was scaled back, with fewer than 600 people, including relatives of war dead, participating, down from more than 6,000 last year.
Seats were spaced out and a musical performance replaced the singing of the national anthem.
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