Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its WWII surrender with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressing “remorse” for the first time since 2013.

About 4,500 officials and families observed a moment of silence for the more than 3 million war dead, while Ishiba urged passing on the memory of the war to future generations to ensure lasting peace.

Meanwhile, right-wing politicians, including Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors convicted war criminals and has drawn criticism from China and South Korea, Euro News has reported.