1st LD Writethru: Majority say Abe should apologize for Japan's aggression

A latest poll showed that a majority of respondents say Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should express regret and apology for Japan's wartime aggression in his statement in August marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II.

The poll, conducted by Japan's Kyodo News Agency over the weekend, showed that 54.6 percent of respondents believe those kinds of words should be part of Abe's statement, while 30.5 percent hold opposite opinion.

Abe is set to release a new statement on the 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II. But a majority of his panel members, after the second round debate, insisted that the word " aggression" should not be used in the statement.

People both in Japan and abroad have strongly urged Abe to adhere to Murayama Statement, which admits Japan's history of invasion and offers apologies. They believe that Japan should take it as a golden opportunity to reconcile with its neighboring countries, rather than cowardly avoiding admitting the wrongdoing it did decades ago.

Regards to Abe's bid to enact legislation for Japan to play a greater security role, 49.8 percent were opposed to his doing so during the ongoing parliamentary session through June, and 77.9 percent said prior Diet approval is necessary for the Self-Defense Forces to be send overseas for logistical support for other countries' militaries. Endi