EMPEROR AKIHITO said yesterday that Japan was forgetting the horrors of the Second World War and gave warning against a return to the right-wing violence and militarist oppression that overcame the country in the 1930s.

In remarkably frank comments, delivered on the eve of a visit to Asian countries once invaded by Japan, the Emperor said that it was the job of royal families around the world to campaign against war and promote peace.

While right-wing Japanese politicians are lobbying for patriotism to be promoted in schools, he spoke of the importance of education in driving home a pacifist message.

“Education is important for the development of our nation as well as for social stability,” he told journalists.

“The six years from 1930 to 1936 were an extraordinary period. There were many violent attacks against leading politicians . . . during this period, and it was extremely difficult for politicians and ordinary citizens to speak out freely.

“I hope many Japanese keep in mind that there was such a time before the war, and determine the future path so that the same mistake would never be repeated.”

Tomorrow the Emperor and Empress Michiko will embark upon a tour of three South-East Asian countries that have vivid memories of Japanese wartime expansionism. In Singapore and Malaysia, British and Commonwealth forces suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Imperial Army.Thailand remained technically independent, but 100,000 Asian slave labourers and 16,000 Allied prisoners of war died in brutal conditions on the infamous Thai-Burma railway.

“During the Second World War, many people died in Asia, including Japan,” the Emperor said. “This has always pained my heart. We should not forget this history, and countries must co-operate with each other for the sake of a peaceful world without any conflict.”

As the “symbol of the state and of the unity of the people” under Japan’s postwar, American-drafted constitution, Emperor Akihito is barred from any direct political utterance, to the frustration of Japanese ultranationalists. But over the years, between the lines of official speeches and press conferences, the 72-year-old Emperor has shown himself to be a man of liberal disposition, concerned about the suffering unleashed by the war and anxious to restore Japan’s good name.

In the past he has sought to mend bridges by referring to the Korean blood that flows through the Japanese imperial line, and by talking of the dark days of the 1930s when Japanese machinations in China were used as a justification for the annexation of Manchuria.

In 2004 Emperor Akihito said that he opposed the compulsory singing of the national anthem at school graduation ceremonies, a controversy that has led to the sacking of hundreds of left-wing teachers. The question of education is pertinent at the moment, as politicians consider a proposal to promote love of their country in Japanese schools. “I would like to refrain from giving any comment on the content of the Basic Law of Education,” the Emperor said when asked about the it yesterday. “I always hope that our people respect the nation, while at the same time considering the wellbeing of the people worldwide.”

The imperial couple will end their tour in Bangkok at the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the accession of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

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