Emperor pushed imperial boundaries to reach out to Asia

How many times and how often do you hear from German leaders and politicians expressed regret, remorse and apology for their country's wartime actions?

The question you should be asking is why Germany’s wartime victims aren’t asking Germany for regret, remorse and apology.

How many times and how often do you hear from German leaders and politicians expressed regret, remorse and apology for their country's wartime actions?

He will definitely be missed. We need more people like him to counter balance the conservative, right wing politicians.

What type of brainwashing commands people to commit suicide rather than face defeat?

Probably the same kind of brainwashing that has people excusing the use of nuclear weapons on this country.

I do admire Akihito for pushing against Abe and the rightist interpretation of history. The Queen of England has apologized for British imperialism using similar vague language. Japan based its modernization on the British imperialist model, and the Emperor apologizes for what Japan did. That will be their role. We must not forget.

It would be nice if the US would apologize for the suffering caused and still causes, but the presidential (as opposed to parliamentary) system makes the symbol of the country the same as the political ruler (ie the president can't apologize while bombing).

econstatsToday  08:34 am JST

"What type of brainwashing commands people to commit suicide rather than face defeat?"

Pride and love of country.

So suicide's all right as long as it's because you love your country?

Akihito is a far different person than his father, that is for certain.

Hirohito only felt regret and sorrow for the Japanese lives lost in the war he helped to instigate, and not for the lives of Japan's Asian neighbors, as well as allied forces, that were the result of that war machine.

What type of brainwashing commands people to commit suicide rather than face defeat?

Pride and love of country.

What type of brainwashing commands people to commit suicide rather than face defeat?

Emperor Akihito must also have been mulling that over whilst on his trip to Saipan.....

@TrevorPeace

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Respect is free to give. There is no disrespect in the truth. I have people asking "why" about those subjects, and answers are not heard or they think it is impossible.

The emperor is not free of speech.

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How you show respect and ask for pardon ?

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In my country we sent thousands kids to their death in germany's death camp just because they were outsiders. Their parents, their sisters, brothers, dogs, cats, friends.... all of them died or were use as objects.

How do we show respect to them ? Every years, on several days, all my country stop to work. That day all medias are showing us officials coming from all world part to commemorate memories, history of what should have never happened and should never happen again.

We speak about our mistakes and teach our children about it. It is not perfect but still, we can commemorate freely without having a foreign embassy complaining.

Respect is about telling the truth about the victims dead or alive. Respect is about saying "we should talk more about this", respect is about free speech. Respect is about saying "we will never forget" and not wondering about why we should have remorses when Abe visits the equivalent of nazi's graveyard.

Respect is about showing respect to the dead. We agree.

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NCM

This article is about the Emperor's mindset. Respect it. And lament the day it leaves Earth, not just Japan.

BTW, Japanese national pride and identity will not suffer, unless at the hands of history's revisionists (who exist in every first-world country, I might add - try being Canadian).

I remember the early 90s well, a tiny few tried to do the right thing, admit what happened & the ldp & right wingers went ballistic!

And yet many right wingers point back to the 90s & say SEE, they conveniently forget how rabid they were in opposition, just at Murayama san or Kono san!

The statements, and efforts to teach children about Japan’s wartime actions, sparked a conservative backlash against a view of history seen as undermining national pride and identity.

But when national pride and identity are based upon lies and deception how do you expect the next generations to think when they are face with the reality that what they were taught to believe is bs?