80th Anniversary of Japan’s Surrender: Shigeru Ishiba Emphasizes ‘Reflection’ on War Without Mentioning Guilt

On August 15, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivered a speech at the ‘National Memorial Service for War Dead’ held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The event commemorated the 80th anniversary of Japan’s announcement of unconditional surrender. Ishiba mentioned ‘reflection’ in his speech, but the focus was not on Japan’s responsibility for aggression against Asian countries.
Approximately 4500 people attended the ceremony, including Ishiba, the speakers of both houses of the Japanese parliament, and representatives of war victims’ families. In his address, Ishiba stated, ’80 years have passed since the end of that great war. Nowadays, the majority of… [751 chars]