Source:
https://scmp.com/news/asia/article/1581563/japan-urged-stick-history-after-shinzo-abe-sent-message-about-wartime
Asia

Japan urged to stick to history after Shinzo Abe sent message about wartime criminals

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe heads to deliver a speech during an annual memorial service for war victims in Tokyo on August 15. Photo: AFP

China and South Korea yesterday urged Japan to stick to history and reflect on its wartime aggression after Tokyo confirmed that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a note earlier this year to a ceremony honouring more than 1,000 second world war-era war criminals, praising their contributions.

Abe sent the message in April to a ceremony at the Koyasan Buddhist temple in central Japan in his capacity as head of the ruling party, not as prime minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.