In a statement marking 70 years since Japan's WW2 surrender, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upheld apologies and expressions of remorse made by past governments, but did not issue a new formal apology of his own.

In what has been grimly described as an expression of profound grief, the PM added that future generations should not "be predestined to apologise over his country’s actions in World War Two".

The speech has been closely watched by Asian countries amid concerns he would play down Japan's wartime atrocities.

China and South Korea in particular suffered extensively under Japanese wartime occupation, and say Japan has never fully atoned for its actions.

Mr Abe walked a careful line, maintaining previous apologies, but also saying future generations should not have to go on apologising endlessly.

He did not deviate from the now standard wording of Japan's official apology, but also sought to cast Japan's 20th Century history as anti-colonial.

Japan's defeat of Russia in 1905 had, he said, encouraged many people under colonial rule from Asia to Africa.

He also made it clear he thinks the world cannot continue demanding apologies from Japan forever.

 Mr Abe saidthat Japan had inflicted "immeasurable damage and suffering" on "innocent people" during the war.

"Japan has repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war," he said.

"Such position articulated by the previous cabinets will remain unshakeable into the future," the official translation of his remarks said.

He stressed that Japan's post-war generations, which made up more than 80% of the population, had "nothing to do with that war". But he added that the Japanese still had to "squarely face the history of the past".

Mr Abe is under pressure not only to avoid angering China and South Korea, important regional allies, but also to satisfy domestic nationalists who have grown uneasy with the repeated demands that they apologise for historic decisions.

He did not directly refer to the women, known as comfort women, who were forced to be sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during the war, but said that "the dignity and honour of many women were severely injured during wars in the 20th Century".