Japan Emperor, Empress Visit Iwoto Island to Mourn War Dead; Offer Prayers at Memorial Sites, Meet With Relatives Groups (Update 2)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:35 JST, April 7, 2025 (updated at 19:00 JST, April 7)

The Emperor and Empress paid tribute on Monday to the war dead on Iwoto Island, the site of an intense battle between Japanese and U.S. forces near the end of World War II.

The Imperial couple made a trip to the island. It was the first visit by an emperor and empress in 31 years. The previous visit was by the current Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita in 1994.

The Imperial couple also intends to visit Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki this year, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.

The Emperor and Empress left Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Monday morning to fly to the island, which is about 1,200 kilometers south of central Tokyo but is part of the village of Ogasawara, Tokyo. They arrived at the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s airfield on a government aircraft.

After being briefed about the natural environment of Ogasawara and other topics, the Imperial couple offered prayers and laid flowers at a cenotaph, which was erected by the central government, and a peace memorial park, where a cenotaph for 82 islanders who died in the war is located. They also prayed at Chinkon no Oka (requiem hill), a metropolitan government facility that enshrines both Japanese and U.S. war dead.

Later in the day, the Imperial couple was to meet with people including representatives of associations of families of war dead, former islanders, and people involved in activities to recover the remains of war dead.

According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, the remains of about 11,150 Japanese war dead have not yet been recovered on the island as of the end of March. This accounts for about half of the about 21,900 Japanese war fatalities on Iwoto.