Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga rebuffed criticism by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over Japan's revisionist views of its wartime history and also said it is doubtful that Ban takes seriously Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's repeated calls for summits with Beijing and Seoul.

Ban on Monday criticized Tokyo's revisionist views on Japan's wartime history, apparently siding with his native South Korea.

Ban said at a news conference in Seoul that he believes Japanese leaders need to reflect greatly on the past, gain insight and vision in order to look forward.