TOKYO, June 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese Emperor Akihito left for Saipan of Northern Mariana Islands on Monday to pay homage to those killed there in a bloody battle during World War II.

    He hoped to offer condolences to all the people who lost their lives and pray for world peace, the emperor said in a ceremony shortly before his departure.

    The emperor and his wife -- Empress Michiko -- are expected to visit several war memorials on the West Pacific island during the two-day trip.

    Saipan, considered vital to Japan's homeland defense during theWorld War II, witnessed a fierce fighting from June 15 to July 9, 1944. US forces were trying to take the island as a base from which its new B-29 bombers could strike Tokyo, about 2,000 km to the north.

    More than 40,000 Japanese troops and some 10,000 Japanese civilians on the island were killed in more than three weeks of fighting. About 5,000 US soldiers were also killed in the battle.

    Paying homage to the war dead is a sensitive issue to Japan which plunged the Asian-Pacific region into a havoc during World War II. Repeated remarks made by Japanese politicians to glorify its war past have also caused resentment and concerns among neighboring nations.     Enditem