Prime Minister Naoto Kan pledged Monday on the 66th anniversary of the end of World War II that the nation would recover from the March 11 triple disaster, likening the hardship to postwar reconstruction.
"Our nation has stood up from the ashes of war and overcome many trials and tribulations with the efforts of each and every citizen," Kan said at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, where the ceremony marking the historic day of Japan's surrender was held.
"With this experience, we promise to boldly rebuild the disaster-stricken areas, as well as Japan," Kan said, while also vowing to renew the nation's pledge to never again engage in war.