At the end of the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Imperial Japanese government accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.
In 1945, the unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan was formally confirmed aboard the Allied battleship, USS Missouri (BB-63).
[2] In one version of the formal apology, Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese monarch, is reported to have said to General MacArthur: "I come before you to offer myself to the judgment of the powers you represent, as one to bear sole responsibility for every political and military decision made and action taken by my people in the conduct of the war.
[2] Tierney reported that when the emperor arrived, MacArthur refused to admit him or acknowledge him, and the pivotal moment passed.
Many years later, Tierney made an effort to explain his understanding of the significance of what he claimed he had personally witnessed: "Apology is a very important thing in Japan.
I believe that our country, painfully aware of its moral responsibilities, with feelings of apology and remorse, should face up squarely to its past history and accurately convey it to future generations.
Respectfully yours, Junichiro Koizumi Prime Minister of Japan Demands for an apology and compensation have been a recurring topic in Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese politics.
In October 2006, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's apology was followed on the same day by a visit of a group of 80 Japanese lawmakers to the Yasukuni Shrine which enshrines more than 1,000 convicted war criminals.
[61] Two years after the apology, Shinzo Abe also denied that the Imperial Japanese military had forced comfort women into sexual slavery during World War II.
However, survivor Yu Hee-Nam said, "I know the government has made efforts to resolve the issue within this year, so I’ll follow their decision."
"[69] Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues also rebuffed the use of the word owabi (お詫び) rather than shazai (謝罪) in Japanese apologies.
"[71] The Japanese government and Prime Ministers have used the expression "kokoro kara no owabi" (心からのお詫び) that most closely translates in English to "from our heart, most sincere apologies" about this issue.