Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has visited the United States base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Japan's attack on December 7, 1941 led to the United States joining World War II. Mr Abe did not apologize for the but did offer his . He said: "President Obama, the people of the United States of America and the people around the , as the Prime Minister of Japan, I offer my and everlasting condolences to the souls of those who lost their here." Mr Abe also paid to those who died in the attack. He said: "We must never repeat the of war again. This is the solemn the people of Japan have taken." President Obama welcomed Mr Abe, "in the spirit of friendship".
A total of 353 Japanese attacked the US base at Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 US personnel. The 75-minute also damaged or destroyed 19 US Navy . Mr Abe is the first Japanese leader for to visit Pearl Harbor and the first to visit a on the site of the sunken battleship the USS Arizona. Mr Abe acknowledged the US role in rebuilding Japan after WWII. He said: "When the war ended and Japan was a in burnt-out ruins as far as the could see, suffering miserable , it was the USA and its good people that generously sent us food to eat and clothes to wear." He added that the between the USA and Japan was an everlasting "alliance of ".
