Japan marks 75th anniversary of WWII’s end

TOKYO — Japan on Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of its surrender in World War II, with Emperor Naruhito expressing “deep remorse” over his country’s wartime actions at a somber ceremony curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The emperor pledged to reflect on the war’s events and expressed hope the tragedy would never be repeated.

“Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated,” he said in a short speech at the event in Tokyo marking the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender on Aug. 15, 1945.

No word of apology came from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who gave thanks for the sacrifices of the Japanese war dead but had nothing to say about the suffering of Japan’s neighbors.

Amid virus fears and worries about the fading memories of the fast-aging war generation, about 500 participants, reduced from 6,200 last year, mourned the dead with a minute of silence. Masks were required, and the crowd did not sing the “Kimigayo” national anthem.

Emperor Naruhito has promised to follow in the footsteps of his father, who devoted his 30-year career to making amends for a war fought in the name of Hirohito, the current emperor’s grandfather.

But Mr. Abe has increasingly sought to whitewash Japan’s brutal past since taking office in December 2012. He hasn’t acknowledged Japan’s wartime hostilities during Aug. 15 speeches, which had previously been a nearly 20-year tradition that began with the 1995 apology of Socialist leader Tomiichi Murayama.

Mr. Abe, in a largely domestic-focused speech, said the peace Japan enjoys today is built on the sacrifices of those who died in the war. He pledged that Japan will reflect on lessons from history and will not repeat the war devastation. He listed damage inflicted on Japan and its people, including the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the firebombings of Tokyo, and the fierce battle of Okinawa.

Mr. Abe pledged to play a greater role in tackling global problems. Under his goal of turning Japan into a “beautiful” and “normal” nation, Mr. Abe has steadily pushed to cleanse Japan of its wartime history and build up its military by stretching the interpretation of Japan’s warrenouncing constitution. It includes acquiring greater missile defense capability in the face of a growing military threat from North Korea and China.