Readers React: How Japan’s prime minister has expressed remorse for World War II actions
To the editor: The article on Japan’s new emperor refers to the country’s “right-wing conservatives, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who have increasingly sought to justify Japan’s action and see no need for apology.”
Contrary to this characterization, Prime Minister Abe has addressed wartime history and apologized in numerous ways.
In the 2015 statement issued on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, he stated: “Japan has repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war…. We have engraved in our hearts the histories of suffering of the people in Asia … in Southeast Asian countries … and Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and China, among others… Such position articulated by the previous cabinets will remain unshakable into the future.”
Moreover, also in 2015, when the governments of Japan and South Korea reached an agreement regarding wartime “comfort women,” Abe expressed “most sincere apologies and remorse to all women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences.”
Akira Chiba, Los Angeles
The writer is consul general of Japan in Los Angeles.
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