Japan PM Ishiba urges facing history squarely in 80th WWII anniversary message

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a personal message for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a move seen as significant but also reflective of Japan’s struggles to fully confront its history. The 6,000-word message, which was not formally approved by his cabinet due to opposition from LDP conservatives, explored how the pre-war constitution, government, parliament, media, and intelligence gathering all shared responsibility for Japan’s path to war. Ishiba urged the country to prioritize calm, rational judgments over emotional ones and warned against narrow nationalism, emphasizing the “courage and integrity to squarely face the past.” However, critics noted the message lacked explicit mention of “responsibility for aggression” toward Asian neighbors, with Ishiba only stating that he upholds predecessors’ “feelings of remorse and apology.” Experts found his reflections mainly centered on domestic Japanese politics, focusing on the failure of political parties to check the military, highlighting the nation’s ongoing deficiency in summarizing its history.

Credit : CGTN