Saturday, August 15, 2015

Japan emperor expresses 'deep remorse' on WW2 anniversary

Japan's Emperor Akihito delivers a speech next to Empress Michiko after they offer a moment of silence to the war dead during a memorial service ceremony in TokyoBy Kiyoshi Takenaka and Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Emperor Akihito marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two with an expression of "deep remorse" over the conflict on Saturday, a departure from his annual script which could be seen as a subtle rebuke of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse over the last war, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated," Akihito, 81, said at a memorial service on the anniversary of the day his father, Hirohito, announced Japan's defeat. "Together with all of our people, I now pay my heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives in the war, both on the battlefields and elsewhere, and pray for world peace and for the continuing development of our country." The legacy of the war still haunts relations with China and South Korea, which suffered under Japan's sometimes brutal occupation and colonial rule before Tokyo's defeat in 1945.


No comments:

Post a Comment