▲ Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not mention "remorse" or the "pledge not to wage war" in her memorial address for the war dead on the anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.
While previous Japanese prime ministers have traditionally mentioned the suffering inflicted on neighboring countries and expressed remorse on the defeat anniversary, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stopped doing so starting with the 2013 memorial address after returning to power in 2012.
Although former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba revived references to remorse and the pledge not to wage war last year for the first time in 13 years, these expressions disappeared from the memorial address once again with the inauguration of the Takaichi administration, which regards former Prime Minister Abe as a political mentor.
Marking the 81st anniversary of Japan's defeat in the war, Prime Minister Takaichi stated in her address at the National Diet Building of the Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on the 15th, "We will not repeat the horrors of war."
She also expressed her determination to focus on security policies, stating, "We will build a Japan capable of hope and a society where people can live safely and securely."
Prime Minister Takaichi claimed, "As a country that values peace, Japan has exerted its efforts to contribute to world peace and prosperity, and Japan can play an important role in solving challenges faced by various countries."
The phrase "a country that values peace" was previously used by former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga.
Their successors, former Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida and Shigeru Ishiba, as well as former Prime Minister Naoto Kan from the Democratic Party, referred to Japan as a "peace state."
In addition, regarding the recovery of the remains of the war dead, Prime Minister Takaichi said, "As a responsibility of the nation, we will do our utmost to ensure they can return to their hometowns as soon as possible."
Earlier that morning, Prime Minister Takaichi privately offered ritual offerings called "tamagushi" to the Yasukuni Shrine.
Making the offering in her capacity as president of the Liberal Democratic Party rather than as prime minister, she delivered the offering funds through Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, who led an unusual group pilgrimage by LDP executives that day.
Before taking office, Prime Minister Takaichi regularly visited Yasukuni Shrine every August 15, but for her first war defeat anniversary since becoming prime minister, she was observed to have withheld from visiting in consideration of backlash from neighboring countries such as South Korea and China.
On this day, four incumbent cabinet ministers visited Yasukuni Shrine, including Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Hitoshi Kikawada, Minister for Economic Security Kimi Onoda, and Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy Minoru Kiuchi.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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