Before meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered a speech at the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. She urged Japan to confront its wartime conduct. The German media say it's not a coincidence.
German public television, ZDF, says that the Asahi Shimbun frequently publishes criticism of Shinzo Abe's right-leaning expressions. Merkel chose the venue to deliver a speech on World War Two.
This signals criticism over Abe's attitude towards the war, especially when it comes amid the Japanese prime minister's intention to revise the constitution, and speculation that he may also water down previous expressions of apology, such as the 1995 Murayama Statement.