Japan marks end of WWII amid censure by Beijing, Seoul
Japan has celebrated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II amid official criticism by China and South Korea, which insist that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not appropriately apologize for Tokyo’s past war crimes.
The Saturday development came as three Japanese cabinet ministers visited the country’s Yasukuni Shrine, honoring wartime heroes, in a move likely to further damage ties since neighboring nations regard the monument as a symbol of Japan’s militarist past.
The memorial services marking the day Tokyo surrendered to Allied forces in 1945 came after Abe delivered an address on the occasion, expressing regret for Japan’s wartime actions, but added that its future generations needn't have to apologize for the nation’s war record.
This is while China slammed Abe’s remarks as a non-apology. North Korea has also ridiculed it as "an unpardonable mockery of the Korean people."
Meanwhile, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye further stated that Abe’s speech "left much to be desired," emphasizing that Japan still needs to resolve the lingering issue of forcing Asian women to work as sex slaves in Japanese military brothels during the war.
Moreover, Korean protesters burned Abe's portrait outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul near a bronze statue representing one of the so-called "comfort women."
This is while Japan’s Emperor Akihito said in a speech during Saturday's war commemorations that he felt "profound remorse" over a war his nation fought in the name of his father Hirohito.
According to a number of local press reports, it was the first time the 81-year-old royal used such words at the annual memorial.
Earlier in the day, nearly 60 politicians, including Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi, entered the gates of Yasukuni.
"How we console the souls [of war victims] is a matter for individual countries -- it should not be a diplomatic issue," Takaichi said in response to a reporter’s question on possible criticism over her visit.
The shrine is dedicated to millions of Japanese that were killed in various battles, including over a dozen “war criminals.” It also has as a museum that depicts Japan as a victim of the US aggression.
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