安倍写信悼念二战战犯

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.日本证实，安倍晋三首相曾向一个悼念数百名日本二战战犯的仪式发出个人信件。

《朝日新闻》星期三报道，安倍晋三今年4月向日本西部高野山真言宗奥院举行的悼念仪式发出信件。

日本内阁官房长官菅义伟说，安倍晋三是以日本执政党领袖身份，而不是以首相身份发出这一信件的。

《朝日新闻》报道说，安倍晋三在信中表达对这些战犯死亡的悲痛之情，并称他们“以自己的灵魂奠定了国家的基础”。

悼念仪式的组织者证实，在仪式上宣读了安倍的信。前日本军方官员出席了仪式。

在高野山真言宗奥院的一个墓碑上，刻着至少1180名战犯以及战犯嫌疑人的名字。

中国和韩国还未就此事发表评论。中韩两国通常都会对日本官员拜祭日本战争亡灵的举动提出抗议。