By Baron Henri Estramant.
Tokyo, Saturday, 15 August 2015: Exactly 70 years to the minute after his father, Emperor Showa (Hirohito), surrendered to the allies, the Reigning Emperor and Empress, alongside Niponese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, attended a ceremony in Tokyo to remember the war dead.
In the words of His Imperial Majesty: “Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse over the last war, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated”.
The day before Prime Minister Abe had expressed “feelings of profound grief” for Japan’s wartime actions.
In The Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and his Minister-President Rutte partook in a commemoration of the Japanese capitulation, which de facto ended the war for the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands, as the country at the time also encompassed colonies in South-East Asia. The commemoration took place at the Indian Monument in The Hague.
Earlier on 17 July 2015 Prime Minister Abe received his Luxembourgian counterpart Xavier Bettel on a working visit to Tokyo arranged by Japan’s ambassador to the Grand Duchy, Ms Atsuko Nishimura.
For more information:
Japan’s Emperor expresses “deep remorse” over WWII: www.dailymotion.com/video/x31rcls
Address by PM Shinzo Abe at the 68th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead http://japan.kantei.go.jp/96_abe/statement/201308/15sikiji_e.html
Embassy of Japan to Luxembourg: www.lu.emb-japan.go.jp/index_f.html
