安倍寫信悼念二戰戰犯

Japan has confirmed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a personal message to a ceremony honoring hundreds of World War Two-era Japanese war criminals.

The Asahi newspaper reported Wednesday that Prime Minister Abe sent the note to the April ceremony held at Koyasan Okunoin temple in western Japan.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Mr. Abe's note was sent in his capacity as head of Japan's ruling party, and not as prime minister.

Asahi reported that in the note, Mr. Abe expressed grief for the death of the war criminals, who he said "sacrificed their souls to become the foundation of the country."

Organizers have confirmed the note was read at the ceremony, which was attended by former Japanese military officers.

The names of at least 1,180 convicted and suspected war criminals are inscribed on an empty tomb at the Buddhist temple.

There has been no comment from China or South Korea, who regularly protest moves by Japanese officials to honor Japan's war dead.日本證實，安倍晉三首相曾向一個悼念數百名日本二戰戰犯的儀式發出個人信件。

《朝日新聞》星期三報道，安倍晉三今年4月向日本西部高野山真言宗奧院舉行的悼念儀式發出信件。

日本內閣官房長官菅義偉說，安倍晉三是以日本執政黨領袖身份，而不是以首相身份發出這一信件的。

《朝日新聞》報道說，安倍晉三在信中表達對這些戰犯死亡的悲痛之情，並稱他們“以自己的靈魂奠定了國家的基礎”。

悼念儀式的組織者證實，在儀式上宣讀了安倍的信。前日本軍方官員出席了儀式。

在高野山真言宗奧院的一個墓碑上，刻着至少1180名戰犯以及戰犯嫌疑人的名字。

中國和韓國還未就此事發表評論。中韓兩國通常都會對日本官員拜祭日本戰爭亡靈的舉動提出抗議。