Prayers Offered For Japan’s War Dead at Tokyo Cemetery; Site Enshrines Unidentified Remains of 370,700 People

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:43 JST, August 15, 2024

Many families of the victims and others visited the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery for the war dead in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Thursday to offer flowers and prayers.

The cemetery houses the remains of unknown Japanese soldiers, military employees and ordinary citizens who died overseas during the war.

A former Self-Defense Forces member from Suginami Ward, Tokyo, 64, visited the cemetery to pay his respects to his grandfather, who died during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in 1944.

“I’ll continue to cherish the memories of the many people who gave their lives to protect their families and the nation, and think again about what the world should do to find peace,” he said.

The remains of 370,700 people who died in the war but could not be identified and returned to their families were enshrined at the cemetery as of May.