Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto reiterated "deep remorse" Friday for Japan's wartime acts and voiced his condolences to the victims, particularly those elsewhere in Asia, on the 52nd anniversary of Japan's surrender to the Allies.
Japan has a responsibility to "create world peace and to not repeat the tragedy of war," he said.
Speaking at a government-sponsored annual ceremony at Nippon Budokan Hall in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, to mourn the war dead, Hashimoto said, "The last war caused tremendous pain and sorrow not only to our country but also to people in many countries, particularly those in neighboring parts of Asia.