BY MAVIS N ISHIMURA PODOKOLO
JAPANESE ambassador to Solomon Islands His Excellency Toyama Shigeru joins to mark the 76th anniversary of the Guadalcanal battle to remember those killed and injured during the war for the love of country and ideology.
Shigeru through his opening speech yesterday recollected the total number of Japanese remains recovered since the end of the war.
“Since the end of the war, we have recovered more than 15,000 Japanese remains. However, more than 7,000 pillars of the remains are still left deep inside the tropical forest, waiting for return to their home country Japan.
“In closing my eyes, I feel an acute sense of sorrow and grief for them and I reflected upon the lost dreams and lost future of those young Americans, Japanese and other nationals who dedicated their lives to their families and home countries.”
Shigeru on behalf of the people and government of Japan thanked with profound respect and eternal condolence to the souls on both sides who dedicated their lives to their families and homeland as well as to the souls of innocent people who became.
Speaking in light of the war yesterday he cited a statement that was said by Mr Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan on the occasion of 70th anniversary of the end of the war which reads;
“We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan attempted to break its deadlock with force. Upon this reflection, Japan will continue to firmly uphold the principle that any disputes must be settled peacefully and diplomatically based on the respect for the rule of law and not through the use of force, and to reach out to other countries in the world to do the same.
“We will engrave in our hearts the past, when forming economic blocs made the seeds of conflict thrive. Upon this reflection, Japan will continue to develop a free, fair and open international economic system. We will strengthen assistance for developing countries, and lead the world toward further prosperity. Prosperity is the very foundation for peace. Japan will make even greater efforts to fight against poverty, which also serves as a hotbed of violence, and to provide opportunities for medical services, education, and self-reliance to all the people in the world.
“We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan ended up becoming a challenger to the international order. Upon this reflection, Japan will firmly uphold basic values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights as unyielding values and, by working hand in hand with countries that share such values, hoist the flag of ‘Proactive Contribution to Peace’, and contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world more than ever before.”
On the same note he expressed his heart felt gratitude for the kind support rendered from the Solomon Islands Authorities and all related personals toward the Bloody Ridge National park project.
“I hope that both Japan and United States could coordinate with each other in order to speed up the project in a more effective way,” said Ambassador Shigeru.
The 76th anniversary ceremony was held at the Japanese Memorial and coincides with the Bloody Ridge National Park Declaration & Dedication Ceremony which was led by the Solomon Islands Government.
