Japan marks 70th anniversary of WWII surrender

TOKYO — Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on Saturday, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stayed away from a contentious Yasukuni shrine that honors war criminals among other war dead.

Abe instead prayed and laid flowers at a national cemetery for unnamed fallen soldiers ahead of the annual ceremony at Tokyo's Budokan hall.

That ceremony started with a moment of silence at noon, marking the late Emperor Hirohito's radio announcement of Japan's surrender on Aug.15, 1945.

His son, Emperor Akihito, made his own speech in which he emphasized that Japan's peace and prosperity stand on "the people's tireless endeavors and their earnest desire for peace," and renewed his "deep remorse" over the war.

Abe also spoke and thanked the spirits of the war dead for their sacrifice. Without it, Japan could not have achieved peace and prosperity today, he said.

On Friday, Abe issued a closely monitored statement on the eve of the anniversary, acknowledging damage and suffering on innocent people but falling short of apologizing in his own words to the victims of Japan's aggression.

Abe donated Shinto-style religious ornaments for the shrine, as he has done in the past since his last visit in December 2013 that triggered uproar from China and South Korea. However, two of his Cabinet ministers prayed at the shrine, and separately, a group of about 60 national lawmakers also visited Yasukuni.

The lawmakers say they merely want to pay respect to those who sacrificed their lives for their country. But because Yasukuni mostly enshrines soldiers, many see it as a symbol of Japan past militarism.