Japan Warns Against Comparing Post-WWII Reconciliation With Germany's

On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "admitting history" could be the first step toward reconciliation of the issue of Japan's wartime past in relations with its neighbors. The chancellor made the comment prior to meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said his country should not be simply compared to Germany in terms of post-World War II settlements, NHK TV channel reported Tuesday.

"Japan and Germany differ in terms of what happened during the war [World War II], under what circumstances they engaged in post-war settlements, and which countries they have as neighbors. It's inappropriate to simply compare the two nations," Kishida told journalists.

He stressed that the Japanese government admitted the tremendous damage the country had inflicted on many other states, particularly in Asia, during the war.

Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany, along with Italy, were a part of the Axis alliance during World War II, fighting against the Allied forces comprising the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries.

The Japanese military committed numerous war crimes, including mass killings of Chinese, Indonesian, Filipino populations, as well as those of other occupied territories. The issue of post-war reconciliation has frequently caused diplomatic tensions, primarily with China and South Korea.