What Japanese lack is regret

Re “The shame Japan can’t dodge,” Opinion, March 6

I wasn’t shocked to read that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there is no proof that women were coerced into becoming sex slaves -- “comfort women” -- of the Japanese military in World War II. Hundreds of women have come forward and been smeared as professional prostitutes by Japanese politicians blaming the victims. It’s like claiming that Jews in the death camps volunteered to be there. The call from the prime minister’s party to revise the formal 1993 apology shows that it was just for show, a meaningless way out of paying for Japan’s criminal past. Japan won’t even grant a token payment and a note of regret from the emperor to each survivor. The reason is that Japan feels no regret for any atrocity it committed during the war and never has.

JOANNE MINSKY

San Francisco