On the 15th, 76 years after the end of the war, a national memorial service for the war dead is being held in Tokyo to commemorate about 3.1 million war dead.
Representatives of bereaved families from all over the country attended the ceremony held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.
Due to the spread of the new coronavirus, 22 prefectures have abandoned the attendance of bereaved family representatives, and the number of attendees is 181 as of 11:30 am, the lowest ever.
After His Majesty the Emperor arrived at the ceremony with the Empress, the national anthem was played and no singing was performed to prevent infection.
Then, Prime Minister Suga said, "We at one point said that the peace and prosperity we enjoy is built on the precious lives of the war dead and the history of hardship. I will never forget. I will continue to carry on this belief that the tragedy of war will never be repeated. "
At the ceremony, attendees hand chrysanthemum flowers to the ceremony to comfort the spirits of about 3.1 million victims of the war.
Attendees The war dead's wife disappears for the first time
It has been 76 years since the end of the war, and the aging of attendees is further advancing. More than 70% of the people are over 70 years old, and the wives of the war dead have disappeared for the first time.
The oldest attendee, 94-year-old Shoji Nagaya, who lives in Hokkaido, lost his older brother, Tamotsu (26 at the time), who had been to China in 1945, due to illness.
Mr. Nagaya said, "I always cry when I think of my brother why he had to send such a person to war even though he wasn't a body that could go to war. I've been thinking that I shouldn't go to war. To be honest, I was hesitant to attend, but I would like to attend again and again as a memorial service. " I was talking.
While the attendees are aging, four teenage bereaved families from all over the country attended this year.
Of these, the twin siblings of 17-year-old Shiori Kuriyama and Junsuke, who are in the third year of high school in Tokyo, were killed in action on the main island of Okinawa in June 1945 by their great-grandfather Mikio Tomita.
The two of them attended for the first time this time to inherit the memories of the war when their relatives called out.
Mr. Shiori, who was interviewed before the ceremony, said, "Today, I came to tell my great-grandfather,'Thank you. Thank you for your hard work.' It's hard to feel, so I think we need to keep telling in an easy-to-understand manner that many people fought for the country and lost their lives. "
"Today, with gratitude to those who died in the war, I'm thinking of handing flowers on behalf of the younger generation. I'm going to the battlefield for my family and friends. I think I have to continue to be grateful for the act that he gave me. I think that the number of people who do not know the war will increase in the future, so I will tell about the war from the perspective of the generation who does not know the war directly. I want to continue. "
Words at the Memorial Service for War Dead
His Majesty the Emperor attended the National Memorial Service for War Dead with the Empress and expressed his wishes for the happiness and peace of the people while touching on the severe infection situation.
On the 15th, 76 years after the end of the war, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress attended the National Memorial Service for War Dead at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.
As with last year, the number of attendees was drastically reduced to prevent infection, and all of us offered a silent prayer with the time signal at noon, and His Majesty the Emperor said his words.
His Majesty the Emperor said at the beginning, "I will renew my deep sorrow for the many people who lost their irreplaceable lives and their bereaved families in the previous war."
He said, "Looking back on the past, standing on deep remorse, hoping that the tragedy of the war will not be repeated again, I would like to express my heartfelt tribute to the people who fell into the war and fell into the war. I pray for world peace and the further development of our country. "
Continuing from last year, a sentence was added to the words that touched on the new coronavirus, and His Majesty the Emperor positioned the current severe infection situation as a new test and said, "We all unite our hearts and strengthen ourselves. At the same time, I sincerely hope that we will overcome this difficulty and continue to seek the happiness and peace of the people. "
At the ceremony, representatives of the bereaved families who attended listened to the words of His Majesty the Emperor.
Words of His Majesty the Emperor [Full text]
Today, on the occasion of "Day for Mourning the War Dead and Praying for Peace," we attended the National Memorial Service for War Dead, thinking of the many people who lost their irreplaceable lives and their bereaved families in the previous war, and renewed their deep sorrow. I will do it.
Seventy-six years after the end of the war, the peace and prosperity of our country today has been built up by the tireless efforts of the people, but when we think of the steps of the people who are full of hardships, we are deeply moved.
We are now facing new challenges due to the severe infection situation of the new coronavirus infection, but we all have united our hearts and worked together to overcome this difficulty, and people will continue to do so. I sincerely hope that you will continue to seek happiness and peace.
Here, while thinking about the long and peaceful years after the war, looking back on the past, standing on deep remorse, earnestly hoping that the tragedy of the war will not be repeated again, and fell into the war. We would like to express our heartfelt tribute to the people, together with all the people, and pray for world peace and the further development of our country.
Prime Minister Suga "The tragedy of war will never be repeated"
At the government-sponsored National Memorial Service for War Dead, Prime Minister Suga maintained his belief that the tragedy of the war would never be repeated, and decided to overcome the new coronavirus and regain a safe life as soon as possible. Shown.
In this, Prime Minister Suga said, "We once realized that the peace and prosperity we enjoy was built on the precious lives of the war dead and the history of hardship. I will never forget it. "
On top of that, "Japan has consistently walked as a country that values peace after the war, and we are doing our utmost to realize a world where everyone in the world can live in peace and affluence. I will continue to carry on this belief, which I will not repeat. "
Then, Prime Minister Suga said, "Under the banner of proactive pacifism, we will do our utmost to solve various problems facing the world while working together with the international community. We will overcome viral infections, regain peace of mind and lively daily life as soon as possible, and open up the future of this country. "