He told the U.S. Congress in April that Japan started its postwar path “bearing in mind feelings of deep remorse over the war”, and acknowledged that “our actions brought suffering to the peoples in Asian countries“. “When I squarely contemplate this obvious fact, even now, I find myself speechless and my heart is rent with the utmost grief”.
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A man attempts to put out flames from another man (bottom) who set himself on fire during a weekly anti-Japan rally to demand for an official apology and compensation from the Japanese government in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea, August 12, 2015. Many believe Abe will take a three-fold approach: 1) Express deep remorse for Japan’s actions, 2) Remind people of the Japan’s seven decades of peace, and 3) pledge future contributions for peace.
Experts say while Abe may want to please neighboring countries – such as China and Korea – by including an apology in his speech, he risks alienating some section of his supporters who oppose such contrition.
On Friday, the top-selling Yomiuri newspaper said “aggression” and “remorse” were likely to be in Abe’s remarks, as well as pacifist Japan’s “gratitude” for its positive post-war image in the worldwide community.
It was after the Korean War that Washington began pressuring Tokyo to start apologizing to its victims during WWII, Zhang said.
The prime minister seemingly referred to supporters at home when he said in the statement, “generations not involved in the conflict should not be burdened with continued apologies”.
“Such position(s) articulated by the previous cabinets will remain unshakable into the future”, said Abe.
“Based on a vow that we must never again to repeat the horrors of war, we have built a peaceful, democratic and free Japan”, Kyodo news agency quoted Abe saying after visiting the grave of his father, a former foreign minister, in southwestern Japan.
In his statement, Abe did not specifically mention the comfort women but made a broad reference to women who suffered and whose dignity was denied. His administration has pushed for changes in school textbooks that downplay or omit wartime atrocities.
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He has also angered Beijing by personally paying his respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s fallen soldiers but also includes 14 “Class A” war criminals accused of planning and waging “aggressive” war. The prime minister also considers the expressing of gratitude to other countries as proof that Japan’s postwar trajectory was the right one to follow. The life of Emperor Akihito, who grew up as Japan rebuilt, runs parallel with the postwar history of Japan transforming from an imperial state with colonial ambition to a war-defeated country that reconstructed itself by putting a priority on economic development and forgoing military might.
