The problem isn't that Japan hasn't apologized. It has apologized at least once to Korea and China and those apologies are a part of public record.
BUT
Everyone involved doubts the sincerity of Japanese apologies because they always turn around and do some shit that makes it look like they don't mean it.
They apologized, but then almost every PM goes to "pay respects" at a shrine where convicted war criminals are interred.
They apologized, but then the Mayor of Fukuoka tells the visiting Mayor of Nanjing that nothing happened in Nanjing during the war.
They apologized but then threaten to "revise" their apology if South Korea doesn't agree to trade policies.
For all the imperfections of German denazification, it's hard to imagine any German Chancellor visiting Himmler and Goerings grave. Or the Mayor of Frankfurt telling the Mayor of Warsaw that the Warsaw Rising was fake news. Or anyone in the German government even thinking of retracting an apology.
The problem isn't that Japan hasn't apologized. It has apologized at least once to Korea and China and those apologies are a part of public record.
BUT
Everyone involved doubts the sincerity of Japanese apologies because they always turn around and do some shit that makes it look like they don't mean it.
They apologized, but then almost every PM goes to "pay respects" at a shrine where convicted war criminals are interred.
They apologized, but then the Mayor of Fukuoka tells the visiting Mayor of Nanjing that nothing happened in Nanjing during the war.
They apologized but then threaten to "revise" their apology if South Korea doesn't agree to trade policies.
For all the imperfections of German denazification, it's hard to imagine any German Chancellor visiting Himmler and Goerings grave. Or the Mayor of Frankfurt telling the Mayor of Warsaw that the Warsaw Rising was fake news. Or anyone in the German government even thinking of retracting an apology.