'Facing up to history is needed to maintain hard-won peace'

Sixty-eight years ago, two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, putting an end to the years-long World War II and remaining the only nuclear attacks in history.

The attacks, instantly killing more than 200,000 people and causing horrendous deaths afterwards due to radiation poisoning, served as a cruel reminder that a war makes everyone suffer and the hard-won peace is so precious.

Hiroshima held an annual memorial ceremony on Tuesday with war survivors and representatives from 70 countries, calling for a world order based on trust and dialogue.

The "trust and dialogue" remark at the ceremony has again raised hope that Japan, which brought catastrophe to its Asian neighbors during World War II and itself also suffered tremendous loss from the bomb attacks, could seize the historical opportunity to face up to the history and hold on to its hard-earned ties with its neighboring countries.

However, recent moves taken by some irresponsible Japanese politicians have aroused serious trust issues and put its neighbors on high alert against possible resurging of militarism in the country.

It seems to be a customary trick for Tokyo to verbally stretch out an olive branch on the one hand, while never stop taking provocative steps on the other.

Since taking office last December, Abe has repeatedly made remarks seen as attempts to whitewash Japan's wartime atrocity. He has gone so far as to say that there is no clear definition of aggression and raise questions over Japan's post-war apologies.

Just in last month, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki signalled the country's willingness to repair relations with Beijing during a special visit, while a day later, the hawkish prime minister pledged support to embolden the Philippines to confront China on separate territorial disputes.

As Rome was not built in one day, building trust also takes a lot of concrete efforts and denial of the past is counterproductive.

Maybe the best way to remember those beloved ones killed in the war is to prevent the tragedy from recurring.

Only by facing up to the history and seriously reflecting on its war-time crimes can Japan win back trust among people in Asia and across the world, so as to preserve the hard-won peace and stability in the region.