The 64th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II (
August 15, 1945) was commemorated on Saturday.
Prime Minister Taro Aso joined some 4,800 bereaved families to pay respect to 3.1 million Japanese war dead — 2.3 million soldiers and 800,000 civilians — at the Nihon Budokan hall in Tokyo. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko also attended the ceremony, leading a one-minute silence at noon. Emperor Akihito — whose father Hirohito announced Japan's surrender in a radio broadcast on Aug. 15, 1945 — said he hoped Japan would never again wage a war.
“I mourn for those who died in the war and pray for world peace and further development of Japan,” the 75-year-old emperor said in a speech.
“The memory of the war is fading. So I am trying very hard to pass the story of our generation to the younger generation,” said 82-year-old former naval officer Shiratake Kuribayashi.
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