It is 77 years since the end of the war in 15 days.
Events to commemorate the war dead and pray for peace will be held all over the country while taking measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
On the 15th, the day the war ended, a government-sponsored National Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead was held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.
After the emperor's remarks, attendees lay flowers on the altar to commemorate the approximately 3.1 million war victims.
With the so-called 7th wave of the new coronavirus, the number of attendees will be greatly limited this year.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, four prefectures and prefectures will not attend this year.
Although the number of attendees, including attendants and guests, will increase from 185 last year, which was the lowest ever, this year is expected to be about 1,000, which is about 5,000 fewer than usual.
Nearly 80% of the attendees are over the age of 70, and the oldest of them, a 95-year-old man from Hiroshima Prefecture, is planning to attend for his brother who died on the battlefield.
As the number of generations directly aware of the war is dwindling, a 7-year-old elementary school student, who is the youngest bereaved family member and is the great-grandson of the war dead, is scheduled to attend the ceremony to pass on the memory of the war.
The ceremony will be streamed simultaneously on YouTube.
On the 15th, various other gatherings and events will be held across the country to mourn the war dead and think about peace.