by Xinhua writer Yan Lei
TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government and authorities should pay heed to the calls for reflection upon its past aggressive war from all peace-loving people.
At a ceremony marking the 72nd anniversary of the end of World War Two on Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failed to offer a sincere apology for the country's wartime aggression in Asia.
This was the fifth consecutive year for Abe to have failed to offer "reflection" at the annual memorial service since he retook office as prime minister in 2012, once again showing the rightist government's reluctance to face history squarely.
What's more, Abe also sent a ritual offering Tuesday morning as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine which honors 14 Class-A convicted criminals of WWII, regardless of the feelings of the peoples in neighboring countries.
Over the years, the Japanese government has been trying to downplay its role as an aggressor and portray itself as a victim through distorting history textbooks and pressuring the media from printing the truth.
But it has also been noticed that some peace-loving people in Japan such as Tamaki Matsuoka, often called "Japan's Conscience," and some veterans who have experienced WWII, have never ceased their efforts to convey to the younger generations the true history and call for reflection, despite the obstruction and threats imposed by the ultra-rightist forces.
Their efforts, plus the fact that iron-clad evidence of Japan's atrocities will never be completely buried despite the ultra-right groups' best efforts, are making more and more people open their eyes to the truth and start to think.
One of the most recent examples was a documentary released by Japan's public broadcaster NHK titled: The Truth of Harbin Unit 731.
The documentary revealed the outrageous crimes committed by Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during WWII.
The documentary, while irritating the ultra-rightwing forces, made many Japanese people learn about the truth of the war and start to reflect upon history.
The Japanese government and the ultra-rightist forces shall be cognizant of the fact that truth can not be glossed over, and only by reflecting upon the history could Japan be prevented from repeating the past crimes.
Moreover, only by looking at its notorious past in the mirror, can Japan earn the respect and trust from its Asian neighbors as well as the rest of the international community, and start to present itself as a normal country in the world.
Abe's cabinet support rate has plunged sharply recently, at one point below the 30 percent mark, which, according to local polls, was largely due to a loss of trust in the sitting prime minister over multiple scandals as well as disappointment at his government's policies.
Local polls also showed that the majority of Japanese people are still against the Abe administration's attempts to revise the pacifist Constitution, which has been a long-held goal of Abe and the ruling LDP.
Although Abe's recent cabinet reshuffle lifted people's expectations a little, it is commonly understood that these effects could be worn off soon unless the government can come up with policies that could ultimately be translated into real benefits for the general public.
It is therefore high time for the Abe administration to give serious consideration to what are the best choices for Japan going forward. Refusing to learn from the past and hyping up regional tensions are definitely not among them.
