Japan marked the 73rd anniversary of the end of World War Two on Wednesday. Thousands gathered at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo to honor the fallen in an annual ceremony held every August 15th.
South Korean President has expressed his willingness to help resolve the stalemate over North Korea's denuclearization.
The number of foreign visitors to Japan in July hit a record for the month.
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Key words : gather Nippon
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People in Japan are commemorating the end of World War Two. Thousands gathered at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo to honor the fallen in an annual ceremony held every August 15th.
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko took part for the last time. The Emperor will abdicate next April.
About 6,500 people attended in remembrance of the more than 3 million who died in the war that ended 73 years ago.
At the stroke of noon, the participants observed a moment of silence.
Emperor Akihito said, "Looking back on the long period of post-war peace, reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated. Together with all of our people, I now pay my heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives in the war, both on the battlefields and elsewhere, and pray for world peace and for the continuing development of our country."
The Emperor has worked to heal the wounds from the war in and outside Japan. Every year since his ascension in 1989 he has delivered an address at this memorial. And this was his final one.
He will be the first emperor to abdicate in about 200 years. The 84-year-old has expressed concern his advanced age could make it difficult to carry out his duties.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to sincerely deal with causes of conflict and work to create a world where everyone can live in peace.
Abe said, "Never again will we repeat the devastation of war. We will humbly face history. And whatever course the world may take, we will firmly keep this pledge."
The relatives of the war dead are growing old. About 80 percent who attended the ceremony are 70 or older.
Among them was 102 year-old Harumi Serigano. She lost her husband when they were just newly-weds. She said, "It was horrifying. I really hate war!"
To pass on the lessons learned from the war, students were invited to take part in the ceremony. One of them, Junichiro Hara, said, "In order to protect peace, I hope to pass it on, along with the importance of not going to war."
Many events are being held nationwide throughout the day to reflect on the past and pray for peace.
Key words : Abe Yasukuni
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an offering to Yasukuni Shrine through an aide on Wednesday, the day Japan marks the end of World War Two.
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masahiko Shibayama, who visited the shrine in Tokyo, told reporters that the visit was at the instruction of the prime minister, just the same as a year ago.
Shibayama said Abe, who expressed regret over being unable to make the visit himself, urged him to pray for the souls of those who made noble sacrifices in past wars.
Yasukuni Shrine honors Japan's war dead. Those remembered include leaders convicted of war crimes after World War Two.
Abe last visited the shrine in December 2013. Since then, he has not visited in person but has sent offerings using his personal funds on August 15th every year.
Key words : group of Yasukuni
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A group of Japanese lawmakers visited Yasukuni Shrine on Wednesday, the day Japan marks the end of World War Two.
The Shinto shrine in Tokyo honors Japan's war dead.
Those remembered include leaders convicted of war crimes after World War Two.
About 50 members of the Upper and Lower Houses, from both ruling and opposition camps, made their visits together. They included some state ministers.
The group's leader Hidehisa Otsuji, a Liberal Democrat, told reporters that the days of the Showa era are now in the distant past and Wednesday marks the last anniversary in the Heisei era of Emperor Akihito.
He said those who sacrificed their lives without seeing today's peace in Japan should never be forgotten.
He added that while many of the lawmakers belong to postwar generations, he wishes that they would never make a mistake in their leadership for the country.
Other lawmakers also visited the shrine separately during the morning.
Key words : south expressed willingness
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in has expressed his willingness to help resolve the stalemate over North Korea's denuclearization.
Moon referred to his planned third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an address at a ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday. The event marked the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese colonial rule.
Moon is to visit the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, next month for talks with Kim.
Moon said he hopes to confirm with Kim the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration they signed during their April summit.
He said he hopes North Korea's complete denuclearization and the corresponding measures taken by the US will be swiftly pursued.
Moon also pledged to take a bold step toward a declaration to end the Korean War and a peace treaty.
Moon referred to the possibility of full-scale economic cooperation between the 2 Koreas on the condition that peace is firmly in place on the Korean Peninsula and complete denuclearization is achieved.
Key words : south oriented
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in says his country will seek future-oriented ties with Japan.
He made the comments in a speech at a ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday to mark the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule 73 years ago.
Moon said he had agreed with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to closely cooperate in ensuring peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.
He expressed hope that such cooperation will lead to an improvement in relations between Japan and North Korea.
The president's speech on Wednesday made little reference to Japan in contrast to last year's speech when he suggested he would press the Japanese government on the issues of those referred to as comfort women and wartime requisition of workers.
However, on Tuesday, Moon attended a ceremony to mark the designation of a new memorial day for comfort women.
Moon told the participants that he believes the issue should not be limited within the context of bilateral history but dealt with as a universal human rights issue. He said he does not believe the issue can be resolved diplomatically.
The remarks are in stark contrast with Japan's position that the issue was settled under a 2015 bilateral agreement.
Key words : Suga
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Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says he cannot answer questions concerning the government's efforts for the release of a Japanese man recently detained in North Korea.
Foreign ministry sources say that the man was detained after entering the North earlier this month, but details of what happened are not yet clear.
The government is currently trying to gather further information while urging Pyongyang to release the man through diplomatic channels in Beijing.
Suga told reporters on Wednesday that he cannot elaborate due to the nature of the issue.
But he said there is no change in Japan's stance to comprehensively resolve North Korea's nuclear and missile development and its abduction of Japanese nationals in the past.
Key words : Italian death toll
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Italian police say the death toll from the collapse of a motorway bridge in Genoa has risen to 37. 16 other people were injured.
A 200-meter section of the bridge disintegrated on Tuesday.
Local media report that more than 10 people may still be trapped under the rubble, but rescue operations are hampered by the risk of further collapse.
The bridge was built in the 1960s. The risks posed by dilapidation had been the subject of debate on several occasions, including by Italy's parliament 2 years ago.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini threatened on Wednesday to revoke the motorway operator's concession. The government is also considering slapping the company with a fine of up to 150 million euros, or about 170 million dollars.
A national research institute is calling for the inspection of all bridges and roads built during the 1950s and 60s.
Key words : China highest
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China's highest-ranking Buddhist monk has stepped down as the head of the country's Buddhist association amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Buddhist Association of China said on Wednesday it had accepted Xuecheng's offer to resign. The powerful monk has influence over the country's religious policies.
A document leaked online reveals that Xuecheng has been accused of sending text messages demanding sexual favors from several nuns at his temple in Beijing.
The temple has denied the allegations, but China's religious affairs administration has launched an investigation. That may have prompted Xuecheng's resignation.
The scandal has shocked China, where more and more people worn out by social competition and income disparity are turning to Buddhism for comfort.
Since the beginning of this year, the anti-sexual harassment movement gaining momentum in the West has led to accusations against several prominent figures in China.
Key words : volcanic southwestern Japan evacuation
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Volcanic activity is intensifying on the island of Kuchinoerabu, in southwestern Japan.
At 10:30 AM on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency raised the volcanic alert level from 2 to the second-highest level of 4.
That means elderly and disabled people should be evacuated and everyone else should prepare to evacuate.
As of 3:00 PM, the agency had recorded 29 volcanic earthquakes.
The largest one had a magnitude of 1.9. Its focus was estimated to be about 5 kilometers underground, in almost the same location as a similar pre-eruption quake that struck 3 years ago.
The agency warns that an eruption powerful enough to cause serious damage to the island's residential areas is possible.
The warning is the first since eruptions in May 2015 prompted the evacuation of all residents.
Key words : number of foreign
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The number of foreign visitors to Japan in July hit a record for the month, supported by growing ranks of individual travelers from China.
The Japan National Tourism Organization says an estimated 2.8 million foreign nationals visited the country last month, up 5.6 percent from a year earlier.
Officials say visitors from mainland China made up the largest group at 880,000.
They say more flights from Thailand and Vietnam operated by low-cost carriers also helped.
The number of travelers from South Korea was down 5.6 percent to 610,000, making the first decline in 26 months. The number from Hong Kong dropped 3.3 percent.
Officials say despite the overall increase, some tourists apparently decided not to come to Japan after torrential rain caused disasters in the western parts of the country.
The officials say they will work to provide accurate information about the aftermath of the disasters through events abroad and social media.
Key words : tourism agency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180815_28/
Officials with the Japan Tourism Agency say they have found over 3,000 private accommodations suspected to be in violation of a law that came into effect 2 months ago.
The private lodging business law requires people who want to offer their properties for short-term rental to register with local governments.
But there were only 6,600 registrations nationwide as of July 21st.
The officials have been investigating 25,000 private rentals listed on 3rd-party websites since the new law took effect in mid-June.
The officials say that as of Thursday last week they had ordered website operators to delete more than 3,000 listings.
Tourism minister Keiichi Ishii told reporters on Wednesday that his ministry will request the immediate deletion of any listing by a property owner who does not comply with the law.
He said the ministry will work with local authorities to properly promote the private lodging businesses.
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