"My memory is not always clear on these matters."

"The path to reconciliation is difficult but necessary."

"I am deeply grateful for the devotion of the Japanese people."

"Later in his life, Hirohito looked back on his decision to give the go-ahead to wage a 'defensive' war against China and opined that his foremost priority was not to wage war with China but to prepare…"

"I consider that the war was brought to an end by the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is true that the Soviet Union's entry into the war was also a factor, but the atomic bom…"