Shinzo Abe visits Darwin shrine to Japanese war dead

The submarine was sunk in January 1942, during an attempted attack and remains on the seabed. Darwin was bombed a month later.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second right, stands next to his wife Akie, second (left), during a ceremony at a memorial of the 80-crew Japanese submarine I-124, which was sunk off Darwin in January 1942, in Darwin, Australia on Saturday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has visited a shrine in Darwin, Australia, commemorating the deaths of 80 Japanese submariners in waters near the city in World War II.

Mr. Abe arrived in Darwin on Friday for meetings with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, becoming the first leader of Japan to visit the northern port city since it was bombed by Japanese forces in 1942.

After laying a wreath with Mr. Morrison to remember the 240 people estimated to have died in the Darwin bombings, Mr. Abe on Saturday honored servicemen from his own country killed in a lesser-known incident, at a memorial for the Japanese submarine I-124.

The sub was sunk in January 1942, during an attempted attack and remains on the seabed. Darwin was bombed a month later.