It is really sad. At a time when Asia would profit immensely from as much togetherness and mission-sharing as possible, nationalism and finger-pointing seem more in force than ever.

It is irrefutable that Japan did extremely terrible things to its neighbors during World War II and should always be contrite about this fact. Even so, if love is never having to say you're sorry (as the popular American novel "Love Story" pointed out), will Japan never get the love and respect that her mostly admirable postwar record of domestic pacifism and regional contributions deserve? Or is Japan always going to have to say it's sorry . . . forever?

The Japanese perspective is that the apology game has gone on too long. OK. -- then would this proposed apology suffice?