The Japanese government and people must not forget the history of aggression, and should learn from it and work hard to promote peace, said director of the Chukiren Peace Memorial Office in Japan.
The 88th anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident is commemorated on Monday across China. The historic incident took place at the Lugou Bridge outside Wanping County, southwest of Peiping(present-day Beijing), on July 7, 1937. The incident is recognized as the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China, and China's whole-nation resistance against the Japanese invaders.
In September 1957, a group of Japanese war criminals who had been released and returned from China established the Association of Returnees from China, or Chukiren in short, with the aim of boosting "anti-war peace and Japan-China friendship".
In order to preserve testimonies and materials and let more people know about the crimes committed by the Japanese invaders in China, members of the association established a peace memorial hall in 2006, committed to collecting and protecting relevant historical materials.
Nobuo Serizawa, director of the peace memorial office, said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that they insist on continuing this cause in the hope that more people will understand the truth of history and avoid repeating the mistakes of war.
"It was an aggressive war in nature, but there are still people in Japan who do not admit that. If we forget this history, we will repeat the same mistakes. As the Chinese saying goes, 'History, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future.' But some people in Japan are trying to make everyone forget this history of aggression, so we do this in the hope of passing this history on to future generations," he said.
Serizawa also told the story of morning glory, which embodies the veterans' reflection on the war and the memorial hall’s wish that the "flower of peace" will always bloom.
"When a veteran of Chukiren came back from China, the people at the war criminal management center gave him a packet of morning glory seeds and told him not to carry weapons when he comes to China again. They hoped that he would start a family and live a happy life after returning to Japan. After returning to Japan, the veteran planted the flowers and managed to make them in full blossom every year until he died. We regarded it as the flower of peace. Now our members are making it bloom from Kyushu to Hokkaido," Serizawa said.
Japan's Chukiren Peace Memorial Hall reminds people of aggression history
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
