Ceremonies have taken place in Japan to mark the 75th anniversary of the country’s surrender at the end of the Second World War, euronews reported.

Emperor Naruhito expressed “deep remorse” over his country’s wartime actions, pledging to reflect on the war's events and expressing hope that the tragedy would never be repeated.

“Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated,” Naruhito said in a short speech at the event in Tokyo, curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

About 500 participants mourned the dead with a minute of silence.

Naruhito has promised to follow in the footsteps of his father, who devoted his 30-year career to making amends for a war fought in the name of Hirohito, the current emperor’s grandfather.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on the other hand, has abandoned a near-20 year tradition of acknowledging the country’s wartime hostilities during August 15 speeches.

He said the peace that Japan enjoys today is built on the sacrifices of those who died in the war. He pledged that Japan will reflect on lessons from history and will not repeat the war devastation.