Japan’s Cabinet Shuns Shrine On Anniversary Of War’s End -- New York Times
TOKYO — Angering his nation’s conservatives, Japan’s left-leaning new prime minister marked the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II on Sunday by shunning a religious shrine linked to Japan’s militaristic past and instead expressing regret for the suffering the war caused across Asia.
While no serving Japanese prime minister has visited Yasukuni Shrine in four years, Prime Minister Naoto Kan distanced himself even further by announcing that no one in his government would visit the memorial, which angers other Asian countries by honoring Japanese war criminals. Japanese newspapers said this was the first time since records began to be kept in 1980 that the entire cabinet has stayed away on the Aug. 15 anniversary of the war’s end and Asia’s liberation from Japanese rule.
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More News On The End Of The Second World War
Asia stops to remember end of World War II -- AP
Japan PM Shuns Shrine, Apologizes At Ceremony -- CBS News/AP
Japan's PM shuns controversial war shrine -- BBC news (Australia)
Japanese PM apologizes to Asian countries, shuns war-related shrine -- Xinhuanet
Veterans gather to commemorate victory over Japan -- The Guardian
Canadian veterans mark 65th anniversary of WW II -- CBC
VJ Day memorial at the Cenotaph in London -- BBC News
In pictures: VJ Day 65 years on -- BBC