Several editorials by Japanese media outlets on Sunday criticized the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for avoiding reflection on history and downplaying Japan's wartime responsibility on the 81st anniversary of the country's unconditional surrender in World War II, warning against growing signs of a "return to the prewar era."
On Saturday, Takaichi delivered an address at the National Memorial Service for the War Dead. In her speech, she made no mention of Japan's past wars of aggression against its Asian neighbors or the immense suffering they caused, nor did she apologize for Japan's history of aggression, while the word "remorse" was also absent from her remarks.
In this regard, an editorial from the Mainichi Shimbun pointed out that Japan's credibility as a peaceful nation will be undermined if the lessons of the war are not squarely faced.
Also on Saturday, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and several other cabinet members visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines 14 convicted Class-A war criminals.
In its editorial, the Asahi Shimbun noted that Yasukuni Shrine had been closely linked to militarism as a core institution of State Shinto and had served as a tool for mobilizing the public for war. It said Koizumi's visit was particularly alarming given his position as the minister commanding the Self-Defense Forces.
The editorial warned that Koizumi's action could undermine the pacifist principles and constitutional order established in postwar Japan, as well as damage Japan's relations with China and South Korea.
Tokyo Shimbun argued in its editorial that even greater concern should be directed toward a series of policies led by Takaichi that display a clear tendency toward a "return to the prewar era."
The editorial cited moves including the lifting of restrictions on lethal weapons exports, increased defense spending, and the strengthening of the national intelligence apparatus, saying the Takaichi administration's efforts to revive the military industry and expand military capabilities bear a striking resemblance to Japan's prewar and wartime posture.
The editorial warned that failing to reflect on the war could lead Japan to repeat the mistakes of history. It urged that the Takaichi administration's push toward a "return to the prewar era" be corrected without delay, for once postwar democracy is undermined, it will be too late.
(Cover: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions from reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, Japan, August 12, 2026. /VCG)
