The following is the Foreign Press Center translation of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's statement on his visit to Yasukuni Shrine:
The day after tomorrow, Aug. 15, is the 56th anniversary of the end of the war. Looking back to the last war at the very beginning of the 21st century, solemn feelings fill my heart. During the war, Japan caused tremendous sufferings to many people of the world, including its own people. Following a mistaken national policy during a certain period in the past, Japan imposed, through its colonial rule and aggression, immeasurable ravages and suffering particularly to the people of neighboring countries in Asia. This has left a still-incurable scar to many people in the region.
Sincerely facing these deeply regrettable historical facts as they are, here I offer my feelings of profound remorse and sincere mourning to all the victims of the war.