Japan on Thursday marked the 79th anniversary of its surrender to Allied forces in World War II, highlighting the importance of peace amid rising global tensions and concerns over the growing nuclear capabilities of China, North Korea and Russia, as well as ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Events were held across Japan to honor the around 3.1 million people who died in the war, a figure that includes both military personnel and civilians.
At the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, near the Imperial Palace, a government-sponsored national memorial service for war casualties was held, drawing about 4,300 attendees including families of those who lost their lives in the conflict.