AKIHITO

This statement was a subtle rebuke to then Japanese Prime Minister Abe who argued for an end to Japanese apologies for WWII. Unlike Germany where politicians led national efforts not only to apologize to the victims of German aggression and atrocities, Japan's politicians have been much less courageous and moral. As of this speech, for example, Japan not only had never apologized to the remaining living "comfort women" who the Japanese forced into sex-slaves for military "morale", or for many of the other even worse atrocities. Many Japanese, including politicians, even denied that these events had taken place and tried to rewrite history, not unlike Holocaust deniers. Abe, whose grandfather, was a member of the WWII Imperial War Cabinet that authorized all this militarism and aggression, has even publicly prayed at the tombs of some of the worst of the Japanese war criminals.

Akhito, then a very young man, had been under the tutelage of imperial and military men chosen for the task. Their racism and conviction of Japanese innate superiority persists to this day among many of the Japanese right.

This statement was a subtle rebuke to then Japanese Prime Minister Abe who argued for an end to Japanese apologies for WWII. Unlike Germany where politicians led national efforts not only to apologize to the victims of German aggression and atrocities, Japan's politicians have been much less courageous and moral. As of this speech, for example, Japan not only had never apologized to the remaining living "comfort women" who the Japanese forced into sex-slaves for military "morale", or for many of the other even worse atrocities. Many Japanese, including politicians, even denied that these events had taken place and tried to rewrite history, not unlike Holocaust deniers. Abe, whose grandfather, was a member of the WWII Imperial War Cabinet that authorized all this militarism and aggression, has even publicly prayed at the tombs of some of the worst of the Japanese war criminals.

Akhito, then a very young man, had been under the tutelage of imperial and military men chosen for the task. Their racism and conviction of Japanese innate superiority persists to this day among many of the Japanese right.