Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front L) and first lady Akie Abe disembark from a plane at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, October 8, 2006.

While nearly 80 percent of Japanese say they are patriotic¹, most of that majority say their country should own up to, and reflect on, its record of aggression² in Asia, according to a poll published in a newspaper yesterday.

The Asahi Shimbun said 78 percent of 1,805 respondents to the December 2-3 poll felt at least some degree of patriotism³. The figure was slightly lower than the 80 percent recorded in a similar poll conducted in April 2005, the daily said.

At the same time, 88 percent of those claiming to be patriots⁴ said Japanese must consider their country's militaristic past and brutal⁵ colonial rule in Asia, the Asahi said.

The results reflect public concerns about Japanese friction⁶ with China and South Korea over their shared history, the Asahi said.

Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors have often been poor because of Tokyo's lack of contrition⁷ for its aggression and harsh colonial rule in the first half of the 20th century.

Repeated visits by former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to the Yasukuni Shrine⁸ that honors war criminals from World War II have further strained those ties.

The Shinzo Abe government has pursued a policy agenda aimed at bolstering⁹ Japan's international military role.

However, Japan's relations with China and South Korea have improved after Abe took power in September last year. His first overseas trips as prime minister were to Beijing and Seoul and there have been several initiatives in recent months to thaw¹⁰ ties.