Japanese rescuers in the historical centre of Kathmandu

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will become the first Japanese leader to address a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday and his speech will be carefully analysed for what he says about Japan's past.
Here are some key questions and answers about the former US enemy-turned-ally, which, 70 years after its World War II defeat, still has difficulties in its relations with China and South Korea in a region heavily coloured by unresolved history.

Question: What is Japan's official position on its wartime history? Has it ever apologised?

Answer: The Japanese government has officially apologised for "its colonial rule and aggression" in the years through the end of the war, as spelled out in a 1995 prime ministerial statement.

An earlier statement issued in 1993 specifically accepted culpability for the military's formalised system of sex slavery.

At this time, a fund was established to provide financial compensation to so-called "comfort women" and Japan says dozens of them received a payout, although this was not government money but came from private donations.

Q: What criticisms does Tokyo face over its stance?

A: Japan's repeated apologies over the war have fallen short of satisfying China and the two Koreas, which bore the brunt of Japanese violence and say that Tokyo has not atoned enough.

They also complain about routine visits by senior politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine, a place that honours fallen soldiers, including several men convicted of serious war crimes by the post-World War II Tokyo Tribunal. More than 100 lawmakers, including three cabinet ministers visited last week.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and other incumbent ministers have passionately defended their visits and insist they are merely paying tribute to those who fought for their country.

Abe insists it is equivalent to US presidents visiting Arlington National Cemetery, although Washington disputes this and expressed its "disappointment" when he went to the shrine in 2013.
Q: What is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's view on World War II?

A: While he has pledged to uphold the apologies issued by previous governments, he has equivocated on a number of issues, ordering an inquiry into how the 1993 "comfort women" apology was issued.

He has vociferously fought liberal voices in Japan over the sex slavery issue -- particularly a prominent newspaper that reported on the subject -- and said they have besmirched Japan's reputation abroad.

Like many conservatives, he accepts there were frontline brothels, but does not believe the Japanese government or military was involved in their administration, leading to charges that he is trying to revise history.

Q: What do Japanese history textbooks say about the war, and how is it taught in schools?

A: It depends on the textbook, which is chosen by the local board of education.

Violence committed by Japanese soldiers in Asia during the war is taught to students, but not always in detail. Some students are aware of events like the massacre at Nanjing, fewer will learn about the biological experiments on prisoners carried out by Unit 731 or the Bataan death march of prisoners in the Philippines.

Japanese history teachers routinely rush through the years around World War II in the final months of the school year. Much more emphasis is placed on early history and samurai-era Japan.

Outside the classroom, the dominant narrative on WWII focuses on the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and on the suffering of ordinary people left in poverty at home.

Q: This year is the 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat. How will it be marked?

A: Abe will issue a prime-ministerial statement to mark the year. He currently has a committee looking at what should be included in this statement.

Abe has said he will stand by previous apologies, but the statement is expected to focus primarily on Japan's post-war history as a peace-loving nation that has given generous development assistance to countries around the world. It will also likely be specifically forward-looking, with an emphasis on the future.

The content of this statement will be very carefully watched by China and South Korea, who will be looking for any evidence of backsliding.