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WORLD NEWS Thursday 16 augusT 2018

Japanese emperor tries to make amends for his father’s war

By MARI YAMAGUCHI tion, with the prime minister
Associated Press portrayed as a nationalist
TOKYO (AP) — For his last pushing for a stronger mili-
time, Japan’s Emperor Aki- tary versus a pacifist Aki-
hito addressed a memorial hito. Abe wants Japan to
service Wednesday mark- stop dwelling on the past,
ing the end of World War II. while the emperor doesn’t
Once again, he expressed want his country to forget it.
“deep remorse” for the Akihito visited China early
war. It was in keeping with in his reign and has trav-
what by all appearances eled to some of the harsh-
has become a mission for est World War II battlefields
Akihito over his 30-year in the Pacific. His 2005
reign: to make amends for visit to the U.S. territory of
a war fought in the name Saipan was hailed as a
of his father, Hirohito. The statement of his desire to
84-year-old monarch is set be part of the postwar
to abdicate next spring. healing process. Akihito
“Reflecting on our past and traveled to the western
bearing in mind the feel- Pacific nation of Palau in
ings of deep remorse, I ear- 2015 and the Philippines in
nestly hope that the rav- 2016. While his Aug. 15 ad-
ages of war will never be dress is always short, Akihito
repeated,” Akihito said in a has expressed his thoughts
two-minute speech on the about the war more clearly
73rd anniversary of Japan’s in annual birthday remarks
surrender. and on overseas trips. He
As emperor, he has made has repeatedly stressed the
unprecedented visits to the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, attend a memorial service for the war dead at importance of studying his-
Philippines and other Pa- Nippon Budokan martial arts hall Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Tokyo. tory and passing it down to
cific islands conquered by Associated Press the next generations.
Japan early in World War family closer to the public. voice announcing Japan’s His successors expressed re- “Now that the memories
II and devastated in fierce In so doing, he has won surrender on the radio on morse to other Asian coun- of the war have started to
fighting as the U.S.-led allies over pacifists, leftists and Aug. 15, 1945. During the tries until Abe dropped fade, I think it is extremely
took them back. Though other critics of the emperor subsequent U.S. occupa- them and any reference important for everyone to
Akihito has avoided a di- system in a way his father tion of Japan, he was tu- to aggression in his Aug. 15 study time and again the
rect apology, he has subtly was never able to do. tored in English by Eliza- remarks beginning in 2013. course of history Japan has
stepped up his expressions Hirohito, who was wor- beth Vining, a Quaker, an He has pledged that Japan followed and to reflect on
of regret in recent years shipped as a living god until experience that experts will not repeat the devasta- peace,” he said in his 2011
in carefully scripted state- the end of the war, remains say gave Akihito his pacifist tion of war, and did again birthday address.
ments on the war. a controversial figure even and democratic outlook. Wednesday. His son, Crown Prince Na-
His words have taken on today, with historians still Though Hirohito hardly Abe also sent a religious ruhito, has largely echoed
greater importance as debating his responsibility changed the wording of offering to a Tokyo shrine his father’s pacifist stance,
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the war. During his fa- his Aug. 15 message for a that honors the war dead, but it is unclear if the first
has sought to move Japan ther’s reign, Akihito himself quarter century, Akihito’s including convicted war postwar-generation em-
beyond its troubled past was almost hit by a Molo- has evolved since he be- criminals. He has avoided peror will be able to strike
since coming to power tov cocktail on a 1975 visit came emperor after his fa- visiting the shrine since 2013 a similar chord with today’s
in December 2012. Op- to Japan’s southern Oki- ther’s death in 1989. in a bid to avoid overly an- younger Japanese.q
ponents of Abe’s policies nawa island, where tens of On the 50th anniversary of gering China and South Ko-
have grabbed onto the thousands of civilians died the war’s end in 1995, he rea, which see the Yasukuni
emperor’s statements as in intense fighting near the expressed for the first time shrine as a symbol of Ja-
a counterbalance to the end of World War II. the hope that the same pan’s military aggression.
prime minister’s push to re- He has since visited the is- tragedy would never be re- In his 70th anniversary ad-
vise Japan’s war-renounc- land 10 times. Okinawans peated. dress in 2015, Akihito start-
ing constitution and build warmly welcomed him and The same year, then-Prime ed using the expression he
up its military. his wife Michiko earlier this Minister Tomiichi Murayama used Wednesday, stronger
Akihito’s World War II-relat- year in what was likely his acknowledged Japan’s words than he had used
ed trips and pronounce- last as emperor. wartime aggression and previously.
ments form part of a broad- Akihito was 11 years old made a landmark apology The contrast with Abe
er effort to bring the royal when he heard his father’s to victims in the rest of Asia. captured media atten-