Amid these World War II commemorations, the Japan Times has called on its prime minister to reflect on Japan's war-time crimes and the suffering it inflicted on people across Asia.
In an editorial published on Tuesday, the newspaper lamented that while Europe had united after the war, giving birth to the European Union, Asian countries were still distant from one another. The editorial lays the blame on how history is taught in Japan. It argues the government should have the courage to let new generations know the truth.
During a trip to Israel earlier this month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe avoided mention of Japan's war-time aggression while visiting Yad Vashem, the official memorial for Holocaust victims. The article concludes that if Japan fails to acknowledge the truth, reconciliation with its Asian neighbors will be impossible.