PM Takaichi Omits "Remorse" from War Anniversary Address
Tokyo, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not use the word "remorse" in her speech at an annual war memorial ceremony in Tokyo on Saturday, the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II, apparently out of consideration for her conservative allies and supporters. Her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, had revived the word for the first time in 13 years in last year'...
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi omitted the word "remorse" from her speech marking the 81st anniversary of World War II's end on Saturday in Tokyo, likely to appease her conservative allies and supporters. Last year, her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba reintroduced the term after 13 years. The term was first used by former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1994, and subsequent leaders followed his lead.
However, Shinzo Abe ceased using the word starting from the 2013 ceremony. Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida also avoided mentioning remorse in their speeches. During Takaichi's address, she altered the phrasing her predecessors used, substituting "We must never again repeat the horrors of war" with "Japan will never allow the horrors of war to be repeated," leaving unclear who might repeat these horrors.
Moreover, she refrained from addressing Japan's responsibility for its aggressive actions against Asian countries during the war, instead emphasizing Japan's potential to become a dependable country shining as a beacon in the Indo-Pacific region.
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