According to Japanese media reports, including Japanese television stations, former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Akai criticized Japanese Prime Minister Keiko Fujimura for not mentioning 'reflection' in her speech on August 15, the day of Japan's defeat and surrender. He stated that Japan still has not cut ties with the militaristic Japan, and if no reflection is carried out, the same mistakes will be repeated.
Shi Hosuke delivered a speech titled "How Can We Continue to Be a Country That Does Not Trigger War." He expressed his opposition to former prime ministers like Yukio Akamine and Shinzo Abe for removing words such as "reflecting" from their speeches. "If we do not reflect on the reasons behind the outbreak of wars, how can we learn from them?" he said.
Shi Hopo said that after the death of Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, Rudolf Hess took over power. However, the Allied countries refused to recognize his legitimacy, and Hess’s government was dissolved. Therefore, there is no “continuity” between Nazi Germany and present-day Germany. But Japan is different from Germany. Present-day Japan remains a continuation of the wartime militarist Japan, and it has not completely broken away from that history.
With a stone breaking through the verdant foliage, I'm saying Japan should not provoke a war that it will inevitably lose, for this is a battle Japan cannot win. Reflection on history is the only way to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Video screenshot of former Japanese Prime Minister Ishihara Masayoshi
August 15th marks the day Japan surrendered its defeat. On that day, Koichi Takahashi delivered a speech at what was described as a “memorial ceremony for those who died in war,” stating that “we will never let such tragedies of war happen again.” However, she did not mention “reflecting on the past,” nor did she address Japan’s responsibility for its atrocities committed in Asian countries.
Additionally, Japanese Defense Minister Nobуya Shinzō, Japan's LDP Party Secretary-General Shunsuke Suzuki, President Yumura Yoshiko, and Election Strategy Committee Chairman Yasumi Nishimura attended the visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15. This was the first time that high-ranking members of the LDP Party attended such a visit collectively. Although Yukie Takashi was not present, she also paid her respects to the Yasukuni Shrine before attending what was described as a "commemoration ceremony for fallen soldiers".
Regarding Japan's political figures visiting the Yasukuni Shrine that honors Class-A war criminals, the Chinese side has expressed strong condemnation and has conveyed solemn representations and protests to Japan.
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Japan waged an aggressive war against other nations during World War II and committed brutal crimes. The so-called "Yasukuni Shrine" is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism. The 14 Class-A war criminals enshrined in this shrine are the main culprits behind the aggressive wars, and it is, in fact, a "war criminal shrine." No matter what excuses Japanese politicians claim, they cannot hide their real intention to retry war criminals, cover up war crimes, distort historical facts, and pave the way for accelerating militarization. Such wrongful actions are an insult to historical justice, a challenge to the boundaries of civilization, and an act of provoking the post-war international order. The international community unanimously opposes such actions.
The spokesperson emphasized that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials. Correctly understanding and dealing with history is an important prerequisite for Japan to return to the international community after the war. It is a political foundation for Japan to develop relations with its neighbors, and it is also an important criterion for testing whether Japan can abide by its commitments to peaceful development. We urge Japan to deeply reflect on its aggressive history, completely sever ties with militarism, and take practical actions to earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community.
