His three decades on the throne have been dedicated to promoting peace. Yesterday Japan’s Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, bowed before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The shrine was built to honor those who died defending the Philippines during World War II.
Under Akihito’s father, the late Emperor Hirohito, Japan apologized for its war record and passed a pacifist Constitution. The only nation to suffer from nuclear attacks, Japan has maintained a defensive national security posture while busying itself with rising from the ashes of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the firebombing of Tokyo.
Its post-war recovery has been remarkable, with its economy surging to become the world’s second largest until 2010 when it was supplanted by China. Japan has used its prosperity to assist slower performing economies, particularly former victims of its wartime aggression, while at the same time promoting best practices in many aspects of global affairs.
Among its post-war friends, apart from treaty ally the US, is the Philippines. Japan has poured aid into the Philippines, becoming the country’s largest single source of official development assistance and one of the top trading partners. In recent years, ties between the two countries have grown stronger as they face common security threats and other challenges including climate change and international crime.
This year the two countries are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Japan has yet to address the plight of Filipino women forced into sexual slavery during the war. But overall, the two countries have a solid base to build on for a stronger alliance, starting with shared values of democracy and the civil liberties enjoyed in a free society. There is much to celebrate as the two nations enjoy 60 years of peaceful cooperation.