Ceremony in Japan marks 70th anniversary of end of WW2

Abe, the grandson of a wartime cabinet minister, himself did not visit the shrine, which honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal, along with millions of war dead.

Further straining relations, a trio of cabinet ministers visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine – which neighbouring countries see as a symbol of Tokyo’s militarist past – prompting China to voice its “strong dissatisfaction”.

“On this day to commemorate the war dead and pray for peace, my thoughts are with the people who lost their precious lives in the last war and their bereaved families”, Emperor Akihito, 81, said.

People offer silent prayers at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery for unknown war victims in Tokyo on August 15, 2015 during commemorations marking Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II.

Both responses suggested Mr Abe’s statement had resolved none of the bitterness, although Emperor Akihito did improve matters a little by expressing “deep remorse” – and the “hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated”.

Park called for early resolution of the issue of “comfort women”, stressing the need for Abe to take “sincere action” in light of his statement pledging to honor the interpretation of history by previous administrations.

Japan and South Korea have long been at odds over the issue, with Seoul saying Tokyo has not done enough to atone for their suffering, despite a 1993 apology.

Abe noted that more than 80 percent of Japan’s population was born after the war, and echoed growing though not universal sentiment at home that the country has apologized enough.

However, a recent report by an expert panel advising Abe on his statement described Japan’s wartime activities as aggression.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Abe’s statement came up short compared to past Japanese apologies, but she also sounded a positive note, crediting Abe for making it clear that the views of previous Japanese governments will be firmly maintained. History can’t be hidden and it remains alive through the testimonies of survivors who are still with us today.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui expressed China’s position to the Japanese ambassador after Abe’s remarks, his ministry said in a statement.

“Abe trod a fine line with linguistic tricks, attempting to please his right-wing base on the one hand and avoid further damage in Japan’s ties with its neighbors on the other“, it said.

China and South Korea, invoking Japan’s expansionist past, have expressed concern about the legislation.

However, he made no direct reference to “comfort women”, a euphemism for the girls and women, many of whom were Korean, who were forced into prostitution in Japanese military brothels. “Those horrors teach us that the countries of our region all advance together, or none of us will advance at all”.

Thousands of South Korean protesters are expected to hold an anti-Japan rally on Saturday.