60 years since the end of WWII


Budokan ceremony Posted by Picasa

This photo is from a large ceremony on Monday at Budokan in Tokyo, a government-sponsored memorial service marking the end of World War II. Am I the only one who thinks it looks like something from the Star Wars movies? Anyway, following a moment of silence, Emperor Akihito voiced strong hope that Japan will never again wage war, saying, "Looking back on history, I ardently hope that the horrors of war will never be repeated."

Read more here where a lot of people are also making comments - I also found a site that reviews a photobook about Prime Minister Koizumi who offered an apology Monday for Japan's wartime military aggression and vowed the country would never wage war again, instead striving to maintain the path of a peace-cherishing nation. Remarkably, he did not visit Yasukuni shrine.

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