Japan’s prime minister, meeting with British counterpart Tony Blair, apologized Monday for Japan’s actions in World War II, but some British veterans groups rejected it as too little, too late.
Trying to ease resentment in Britain over Japan’s wartime role, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto also offered $1.3 million in scholarships for descendants of British prisoners of war.
One key issue appeared unresolved: compensation for British war victims and their families, which the Japanese government has repeatedly refused to pay.
It was unclear whether the prime ministers discussed the matter.
Hashimoto expressed the government’s “deep remorse and heartfelt apology” for the “tremendous damage and suffering” in World War II, according to a spokesman for Japan’s Foreign Ministry.
