Abe Upholds Japan's Past Remorse Over WWII, But No Fresh Apology -- Text Includes translated statement

TOKYO, JAPAN - AUG. 14: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upheld Japan's past apologies over its wartime actions as "unshakable" in a statement issued Friday to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, but stopped short of offering a fresh apology of his own. -- The following is the text of the statement issued by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. -- On the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, we must calmly reflect upon the road to war, the path we have taken since it ended, and the era of the 20th century. We must learn from the lessons of history the wisdom for our future. More than one hundred years ago, vast colonies possessed mainly by the Western powers stretched out across the world. With their overwhelming supremacy in technology, waves of colonial rule surged toward Asia in the 19th century. There is no doubt that the resultant sense of crisis drove Japan forward to achieve modernization. Japan built a constitutional government earlier than any other nation in Asia. The country preserved its independence throughout. The Japan-Russia War gave encouragement to many people under colonial rule from Asia to Africa.