JAPANESE Emperor Akihito has called on Japan to "accurately understand" its history at the end of a year marked by criticism abroad that the country fails to atone for its militarist past. In an interview marking his 72nd birthday today, the Emperor said "there were rarely peaceful times" in the 20 years to 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allies to end World War II. "I believe it is extremely important for the Japanese people to strive to accurately understand this past history along with the ensuing era," Akihito said. "This is also important when the Japanese people interact with...