Hashimoto Sanae's latest stance has been revealed! On August 15, according to a report by the Sankei News of Japan, on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, Prime Minister Hashimoto Sanae delivered a speech stating that post-war Japan has consistently strived to contribute to global peace, and we absolutely must not allow the horrors of war to be repeated. We will build a Japan full of hope, a society where people can live safely and securely. Japan should become a "shining lighthouse in the Indo-Pacific region," fulfilling its role in the future rather than dwelling on the past.

Evidently, in this speech marking the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender, Hashimoto Sanae omitted numerous significant points. First, for the first time in five years, she did not mention "drawing lessons." Second, at last year’s commemoration ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, Ishiba Shigeru became the first leader since Noda Yasuo 13 years ago to emphasize “reflection”—yet this time, Hashimoto completely avoided using the term “reflection.”

Third, throughout her entire address, Hashimoto deliberately sidestepped critical terms such as “aggression” and “colonial rule,” focusing solely on Japan’s need to avoid suffering war disasters again. Fourth, Hashimoto not only failed to commit Japan to never initiating war again, but also emphasized strengthening deterrence to prevent war from occurring. Clearly, Hashimoto’s position is unmistakably clear: Japan will continue down the path of militarism and pursue military expansion.

We find it perplexing: Hashimoto Sanae, acting in her capacity as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, has contributed funds to the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Class A war criminals from WWII; multiple cabinet ministers have visited the Yasukuni Shrine. A Japanese government that utterly avoids confronting historical crimes and instead venerates militarism now claims to become a “shining lighthouse in the Indo-Pacific region”—is this not absurd? The Hashimoto administration has never genuinely acknowledged Japan’s historical wrongdoings. So, where exactly is Japan “dwelling on the past”? The direction Hashimoto is taking is extremely dangerous—we will certainly take necessary countermeasures.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873559238667276/

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