Like his father, Emperor Naruhito voices deep remorse over World War II

August 15, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Emperor Naruhito expressed his deep remorse over World War II while wishing for peace at an annual war memorial ceremony in Tokyo on Thursday, as his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, did in past years.

"Our country today enjoys peace and prosperity, thanks to the ceaseless efforts made by the people of Japan. When I look back on the arduous steps taken by the people, I cannot help but be overcome with deep emotion," the Emperor said.

"Looking back on the long period of postwar peace, reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never again be repeated," the Emperor said in his first address to the ceremony since taking over the throne on May 1, when the country's Imperial era name changed from Heisei to Reiwa.

The government-sponsored ceremony took place at the Nippon Budokan hall in Chiyoda Ward to mark the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the war.

Before the Emperor's speech, participants at the ceremony, totaling about 7,000 people, including the Emperor, his wife, Empress Masako, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and bereaved relatives, observed a minute of silence at noon (3 a.m. GMT) to mourn about 3.1 million victims of the war.

In a speech, Abe said, "The peace and prosperity we enjoy today was built on the precious sacrifices of the war dead." "We will never again repeat the devastation of war. This pledge will never change in Reiwa," he said.

He again stopped short of expressing remorse over the damage and suffering caused by Japan to the people of neighboring countries during the war, which was mentioned by his predecessors in their war-end anniversary speeches.

In a speech delivered on behalf of relatives of the war dead, Kokichi Morimoto, 77, said, "I want all Japanese citizens to take to heart that Aug. 15 is the day to mourn the war dead, pray for peace and pay respects to the lost souls."

Morimoto, a resident of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, lost his father in eastern New Guinea, now Papua New Guinea, during the war.

According to the welfare ministry, 5,391 bereaved relatives planned to attend the ceremony, but 64 people were absent due to a powerful typhoon.

The oldest participant was Haru Uchida, 97, who lost her husband in the Battle of Okinawa, a fierce ground battle in the southernmost Japan prefecture in the final phase of the war. The youngest participant was aged 4.

The number of participants aged 80 or over hit a record high of 1,166, or 21.6 pct of the total.

For the ninth consecutive year, no parent of the war dead participated in the annual ceremony. The number of widows of fallen soldiers dropped to a record low of five.

The number of participants born after the war rose to a record high of 1,650, or over 30 pct of the total. Jiji Press