Kishida marks 78th anniversary of World War II’s end without mentioning Japan’s wartime aggression

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has renewed a peace pledge as Japan observed the 78th anniversary of its World War II defeat. He did not mention the country’s wartime aggression in Asia, while three of his former and current Cabinet ministers visited a shrine seen by neighboring countries as a symbol of militarism. Kishida gave a speech marking the anniversary that was almost identical to last year’s, saying Japan would “stick to our resolve to never repeat the tragedy of the war.” Kishida has been pushing for a significant buildup of Japan’s military under a new defense strategy that his government released in December.