Japan marks war anniv. with peace pledge, no ministerial visit to shrine+

TOKYO, Aug. 15 Kyodo -

Japan marked the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II on Sunday with a
renewed resolve for peace and a gesture seeking friendlier ties with its
neighboring countries as Prime Minister Naoto Kan and all of his Cabinet
members did not visit Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine.
It is the first time since the 1980s that the entire Japanese Cabinet has
refrained from visiting the institution, seen by China and South Korea as a
symbol of Japan's past militarism, on the anniversary.
During an annual war memorial ceremony held by the government, Kan pledged to
maintain Japan's commitment not to engage in war and vowed to contribute to
world peace.
''Our country inflicted considerable damage and pain on people in countries in
Asia in the war,'' Kan said, referring to Japan's wartime aggression. He
promised to ''renew the no-war pledge...and actively contribute to the
establishment of ever-lasting peace in the world.''
Kan attended the ceremony, which remembers some 2.3 million soldiers and
800,000 civilians who died in the conflict, for the first time as premier since
taking office in June.
Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and some 5,400 people including family members
of those who died as well as 1,800 government officials also took part in the
ceremony, which was held at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.
Following Kan's address, participants observed a one-minute silence at noon.
Also speaking at the ceremony was Emperor Akihito, who said, ''In light of
history, I truly hope that the horror of war will not be repeated and, together
with all the Japanese people, I pay a heartfelt tribute to those who lost their
lives on the battlefield and fell in the ravages of war.''
The decision by the government led by Kan's Democratic Party of Japan to forgo
a visit to Yasukuni Shrine reflects its bid to show consideration toward Asian
countries which have been highly critical of visits to the shrine by Cabinet
members in the past, political observers said.
It also reflects the government's bid to differentiate itself from the Liberal
Democratic Party, which ruled Japan for most of the country's post-war era
during which time many prime ministers and Cabinet members visited the Shinto
shrine at the risk of offending the neighboring countries, they added.
In sync with the Cabinet members, no senior vice ministers and parliamentary
secretaries -- the lawmakers holding the second- and third-ranking ministerial
posts -- paid a visit to the shrine.
The DPJ came to power last September after defeating the LDP in the general
election in August.
Instead of visiting the shrine that honors Japan's war dead along with war
criminals, Kan went to a national cemetery in Tokyo for unknown soldiers who
died in the war before attending the war memorial ceremony.
The issue of Cabinet members' visits to the shrine on Aug. 15 started to draw
public attention in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, members from the largest opposition LDP, including President
Sadakazu Tanigaki, Secretary General Tadamori Oshima and former Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe, visited the shrine on Sunday.
According to a nonpartisan group of Diet members who advocate visits to the
shrine, more than 50 lawmakers, including those who are not members of the
group, visited the shrine on Sunday. They included DPJ upper house member
Yuichiro Hata, former LDP Secretary General Makoto Koga and Takeo Hiranuma,
chief of the Sunrise Party of Japan.
After visiting the shrine, Abe commented to reporters about the Cabinet
members' decision not to visit Yasukuni, saying, ''If the decision was not made
independently by each Cabinet member, but made only by the prime minister, it
could be problematic from the standpoint of freedom of religion.''
Kan has repeatedly said he will not visit the shrine as long as he is in
office, saying he considers official visits by Cabinet members to the shrine as
problematic as the shrine honors war criminals.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku told reporters earlier that it is the
current government's stance that ministers ''refrain voluntarily'' from making
official visits to Yasukuni.
==Kyodo
2010-08-15 22:19:02


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