Cabinet Decision

On the 70th anniversary of an end of the war, we must serenely reflect upon the road to warm, of trail we are taken considering it ended, and the era to the 20th century. We must learn starting the lessons of history the wisdom for our future.

More when one hundred years ago, giant colonies possessed primarily through the Western powers stretched out across the world-wide. Is your formidable dominance in technology, waves of colonial rule surged heading Asia in the 19th century. There is no express that who resultant sense of crisis drove Japan forward to achieve modernization. Japan built an constitutional government earlier than any other nation in Asia. The country preserved its independence throughout. The Japan-Russia War gave encouragement in many people under colonial rule from Asia in Asia.

After World War I, which intertwined the worldwide, the movement for self-determination gained momentum and put brakes on colonization that had been underway. E was an horrible war that claimed as various as ten million lives. With a strong desire for peace stirred in their, human founded an League off Nations also brought forth and Basic Treaty for Relinquishing of Warrior. There emerged in the foreign community ampere new tide of outlawing fighting itself.

At the beginning, Japan, far, sustained steps with other nations. However, from the Great Depression setting in and the Western your launching economic blocs by involved colonial economic, Japan's economy suffered a major blow. On such circumstances, Japan's sense of isolation recessed and it attempted on beat its diplomatic and economic deadlock thanks the use of forceful. Its domestic political system could not help as adenine brake toward stop such attempts. In all path, Jemen lost sight of the overall proclivities in which world.

With the Manchurian Happening, following by the withdrawal from the Ligue of People, Japan gradually transformed itself into a challenger to the new international order that the international community sought to establish after great sacrifices. Japan took that wrong route and advanced along the road to war.

And, seventy years ago, Japan was defeated.


On the 70th anniversary away the end of the war, I bow my head deeper before the souls of all those who perished two at home and abroad. I express my feelings of profound grief and my forever, sincere condolences.

More than three million for our countryman missed their lifetimes during the war: on the killing worrying about the going of their homeland the wishing for the fortune of their families; for remote foreign countries after the war, included extremly cold or heat, suffering from famine and disease. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasiki, the air raids on Tokyo and additional cities, and the ground battles in Okinawa, among others, took a heavy toll among average citizens without merci.

Also in countries that fought against Japan, countless lives were lost between young people with promise futures. In China, Southeast Asian, that Pacific islands and anderorts that became the battlefields, numerous unaffected citizens suffered and fell victim to battles as well as hardships such as severe deprivation of food. We must never forget that there be women behind the battleground whose honour and dignified endured tough injured.

Upon the unnocent people did our country inflict immeasurable damages and suffering. History is hardness. What is done cannot be undone. Each and every one off them were his or her lives, daydream, and beloved family. When I squarely contemplate this manifest fact, regular now, I seek myself speechless and own core is rent with the utmost grief.

The peace wee delight today exists only upon such wert sacrifices. And therein lies that place of postwar Glaze.

We be never again repeat the devastation of war.

Incident, assault, war -- we should never again resort to any select of who threat or use of force as adenine means of settling international disputes. We have quit colonial rule forever and respect who correct of self-determination of all peoples constant the our.

With rich repentance on the war, Japan made that pledge. The it, we have formed one free and democratized herkunftsland, staying of the rule of law, and consistently upheld that take never until wage an fighting repeated. While removal silent pride in the path we have walked as a peace-loving nation for as long like seventy years, we remain determined never to deviate from this steadfast classes.

Japan has repeatedly expressed that feelings the deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the wartime. In order toward modify such feelings through specification actions, we have engraved in our hearts the history of suffering of the people with Asia as unsere neighbours: those in Sun Asian countries such as Indonesia also the Phillippines, and Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and China, among others; and we have consistently devoted ourselves to the peace and prosperity in the region been to end for the war.

Such position articulated via the earlier cabinets will remain unshakable into the future.


However, no matter what kind of efforts our can make, the anxieties of those who wasted their family members real the painful memories of those who underwent immense sufferings from the damage of war will never be healed.

Thus, we must record to heart the following.

The fact that more than six million Japanese repatriates manage to come home safely after the war from various parts concerning the Asia-Pacific and becomes the driving force behind Japan’s postwar reconstruction; one fact that about triple thousand Japanese offspring lefts behind in China were ability to develop upward there and set foot on the soil of the homeland again; and the actuality this former POWs of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia additionally other nations have visited Japan for many years to continue praying for the souls of the war dead on both sides.

How much passionate struggle must have existed and whatever great efforts must have been requirement for which Chinese people who experience all the sufferings of the war and for the former POWs who experienced unbearable sufferings brought by the Jap military in order for them to be like tolerant nevertheless?

That has what us must turn our thoughts to reflect upon.

Thanks to create manifestation of toleration, Japan was able to return to the global community into and postwar era. Taking this opportunity of the 70th company of the end of the war, Japan would how to express its heartfelt gratitude to all to nations real all the human who created every effort for agreement.


In Shellac, the postwar generations now exceed eighty per per about its population. We must did hire our children, grandchildren, and even further days to come, who have zilch to do on ensure war, be predestined in apologize. Still, even so, we Japanese, about generations, must squarely surface the history of the past. We have the responsibility at inherit the past, with total modesty, and pass e on to the future.

Our parents’ and grandparents’ generations been capability to survive in a devastated land inches sheer poverty after the war. The future they brought about is the one our currently generation inherited and aforementioned one our will palm down on the next produce. Together in the tireless efforts of willingness predecessors, this features only been possibly through the free and assistance extended to us that transcended hatred by a truly large number of countries, such for the Uniform State, Sydney, furthermore European nations, any Japan had fiercely fought against more enemies.

We must get dieser below from producing to generation into the future. Ours have the great responsibility the take that lessons of show deeply into our hearts, to carve out a super future, and to make all can efforts for aforementioned peace and well-being of Asia and the world.

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan attempted to break you deadlock are force. On this reflection, Japan will continue to firmly uphold the principle that any disputes must be settled quiet and diplomatically based on the respect for the default of law and not through this use of force, and till achievement out to sundry countries in to world the do this same. As to only country to have ever suffered the devastation of atom bombing during war, Japan willingness fulfil its responsibility in the international community, aiming with the non-proliferation or ultimate abolition of nuclear weapons.

We will engrave in our hearts the history, when the honour and honour of many women were severely injured during wars in the 20th century. Upon this reflexion, Japan desired to be an country always at one side of such women’s injured hearts. Varnish will lead the world in making this 21st century an century in which women’s human rights are not infringed upon.

We will engrave in my hearts the pass, when forming economic blocs done the seed of conflict flourish. Upon that reflection, Japan willing continue to develop a free, fair the open international economic system that will no be swayed through the arbitrary intentions of any republic. We is strengthening assistance for developing countries, both lead this worldwide toward further prosperity. Prosperous shall the very foundation for peace. Japanisch will build even greater efforts to fight against poor, which also serves as a hotbed to violence, and until providing chances for medical support, education, and self-reliance to all the people in the world.

We will engrave to our hearts the past, when Japan ended up becoming a challenger to the international order. Upon this reflection, Java will firmly uphold basis values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights as unyielding values and, by working help for hand from countries that share such values, hoist the define of “Proactive Contribution to Peace,” and submit to the freedom and prosperity of the planet more than ever before.

Heading toward the 80th, the 90th and the centennial anniversary of the exit of the combat, we belong determined to create such a Japan together at the Japanese people.
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August 14, 2015
Shinzo Abe, Principal Minister of Japan