Photo/Illutration Invitees arrive at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo to attend a state ceremony on Aug. 15, marking the 79th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. (Tatsuya Shimada)

Japan paid tribute to its war dead at events held across the country on Aug. 15, marking the 79th anniversary of its surrender in World War II.

About 4,300 participants, including Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, attended a state ceremony held at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo.

“Looking back on the long period of postwar peace, reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never again be repeated,” Naruhito said after he and attendees observed a minute of silence.

Nearly eight decades after the war’s end, many ceremony participants are now in the later years of life.

Of the 3,215 bereaved family members on the guest list, 47 percent are 80 or older, 27.7 percent are in their 70s, and 10.6 percent are in their 60s.

The oldest participant was 97, and the youngest was 3.

Nearly half, or 47.1 percent, of bereaved family members were born after the war, totaling 1,513 individuals. This is the highest rate ever.

In terms of their relationship to the deceased, only two are spouses. Children make up the largest group, with 1,344 individuals, or 41.8 percent.

The generation with firsthand combat experience is also disappearing, posing a challenge in preserving the legacy and lessons of war.

As of the end of March, there were only 1,093 surviving veterans of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army receiving pensions, according to the internal affairs ministry.

This is 788 fewer than the previous year.

After peaking at 1,256,409 in fiscal 1970, the number of veteran pension recipients dropped below 100,000 in fiscal 2011 and fell under 10,000 in fiscal 2019.

In the past five years, the number has been decreasing by 30 to 40 percent annually, and it is likely to sink below 1,000 by the end of March next year.

These pensions are available to soldiers and non-commissioned officers who served for at least 12 years and to officers of higher rank who served for at least 13 years. Additional service time can be granted for deployments to the bloodiest battlefronts.

It is believed that many former soldiers do not qualify for these pensions. The ministry said the exact number of surviving combat veterans is unknown.

(This article was written by Yosuke Watanabe and Ayami Ko.)

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