Japanese Emperor’s Speech at World War II Memorial Ceremony Recognizes Postwar Suffering

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:53 JST, August 16, 2025

The Emperor reiterated his strong desire to pass down memories of World War II in his address at the annual memorial ceremony for the war dead held in Tokyo on Friday.

“It is my sincere hope that we shall continue to pass down the memories of the sufferings endured during and after the war, and in unity of spirit, to seek peace and the happiness of the people in the future,” the Emperor said in his 90-second address.

Since his days as crown prince, the Emperor, who was born in the postwar era, has underscored the importance of conveying memories of the ravages of war to future generations.

During a press conference in February, he stated, “I have taken to heart the suffering of many people,” adding that “it is important to pass on the tragic experiences and history to the generations who do not know war.”

The Emperor and Empress have attended memorial services for the war dead in Japan and abroad this year.

In April, they visited the island battlefield of Iwoto, also known as Iwojima, in Ogasawara, which is administratively part of Tokyo.

In June, they visited Okinawa Prefecture with their daughter, Princess Aiko, and renewed their wishes for peace. They also visited Hiroshima, which was devastated by an atomic bomb.

In July, during a goodwill visit to Mongolia, they offered flowers and a moment of silent prayer at a monument for Japanese who died in internment camps.

During their visits, the Emperor particularly valued meeting with atomic bomb survivors and other people who had experienced the war, as well as young people who serve as “storytellers” passing on war survivors’ memories of the war.

“This year’s address captured the feelings the Emperor had during his visits,” said a senior official from the Imperial Household Agency who accompanied the Imperial couple on the series of visits.

The addresses at a memorial service have a history of being carefully crafted by Emperor Showa and the Emperor Emeritus after the war, each word imbued with their wishes for peace.

“The Emperor followed the framework of the addresses, inheriting the sentiments of Emperor Showa and the Emperor Emeritus to express sympathy for postwar hardships of the war-bereaved families and Japanese citizens by using the new expression, ‘the sufferings endured during and after the war,’” said Hideya Kawanishi, an associate professor at Nagoya University and an expert on the symbolic emperor system. “It shows the Emperor’s thoughts on peace as an emperor born in the postwar era.”

Prayers of Imperial family

The Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita observed a moment of silence while watching the national memorial ceremony for the war dead on television at their residence in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo, on Friday.

Princess Aiko, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, offered a silent prayer at the Imperial Palace, her residence.