TOKYO, March 10 -- Regarding visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel's call for Japanto "look squarely at history," Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has succeeded past cabinets' historical recognition.

"Japanese military has caused numerous losses and great pain to people of many countries, especially in neighboring Asian countries. On this point, Abe's cabinet shares same recognition with past cabinets."

Merkel has urged Japan to confront its wartime conduct, citing Germany's ability to "face our history" and reconcile with victims of its Nazi past during a lecture in Tokyo Monday.

The German chancellor's diplomatic nudge came amid speculation that Abe may water down previous expressions of remorse in a new official statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II, and risk inflaming tensions with its neighbors.

Shinichi Kitaoka, the deputy chairman of an advisory panel on Abe's 70th anniversary statement, also said Monday that he wants the prime minister to acknowledge Japan waged "a war of invasion" in the landmark statement.