Japan Marks 80th WWII Anniversary Amid Fading War Memories

Tokyo, Aug 15 (AP) Japan commemorates over 3 million war dead as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of its surrender, which concluded World War II. Concerns rise as memories of the war's tragedy and the harsh lessons from the era of Japanese militarism rapidly fade.

On Friday, a national ceremony took place at Tokyo's Budokan Hall, where around 4,500 officials, bereaved families, and their descendants gathered for a moment of silence at noon, marking the time when the then-emperor announced Japan's surrender on Aug 15, 1945.

Nearby at the Yasukuni Shrine, perceived by Asian neighbors as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, numerous Japanese right-wing politicians and supporters congregated to offer prayers.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba chose not to visit Yasukuni, opting instead to send a religious ornament as a personal gesture, avoiding prayers at the contentious site.

However, Shinjiro Koizumi, the agriculture minister and a leading contender to succeed the embattled prime minister, prayed at the shrine. Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi—whose 2001 visit to Yasukuni incited outrage in China—regularly visits the shrine.

Right-wing lawmakers, including former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi, along with influential Liberal Democratic Party member Koichi Hagiuda, also visited the shrine on Friday.

The shrine honors convicted war criminals among approximately 2.5 million war dead. Visits to the shrine are viewed by victims of Japanese aggression, especially China and the Koreas, as a sign of insufficient remorse for Japan's wartime past.

As the wartime generation dwindles, Japan grapples with the challenge of imparting wartime history to future generations, particularly following revisionist movements during the 2010s under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his allies.

Japanese prime ministers ceased issuing apologies to Asian victims from 2013 onward, following a precedent established by Abe.

Controversies have arisen over some lawmakers' denial of Japan's military involvement in significant civilian casualties in locations like Okinawa or the Nanking Massacre.

In an editorial on Friday, the Mainichi newspaper highlighted that Japan's pacifist principles often focused on avoiding global conflicts rather than fostering peacebuilding efforts, urging Japan to collaborate with its Asian neighbors as equals.

"It's time to show a vision toward a world without war" based on the lessons from its own history, remarked the Mainichi. (AP) SCY SCY

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