Former American POWs and their supporters greeted Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's apology delivered to them Saturday in San Francisco with mixed reactions, saying it was a good start but still a long way from a solution.
In a speech marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Tanaka noted that the war has left indelible scars on many people, including prisoners of war.
"I reaffirm today our feelings of deep remorse and offer a heartfelt apology," Tanaka said. It was the first apology to former American POWs by a ranking Japanese government official.