The national memorial ceremony for the war dead was held at Nippon Budokan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Sunday, which marked the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II.
A moment of silence was observed at noon by a gathering that included a record low of about 50 family members from 25 prefectures amid the pandemic.
The government hosts the annual ceremony, which in past years has seen about 5,000 family members from all 47 prefectures in attendance. However, just like last year, the number of participants was greatly reduced.
The Emperor made a speech expressing his sincere wish that "the ravages of war will never again be repeated," and reiterating "the feelings of deep remorse," a phrase first incorporated in 2015 on the 70th anniversary by the Emperor Emeritus, who was the Emperor at that time.
"I sincerely hope that we all work together with an even greater unity of mind to overcome this difficult situation and continue to seek happiness of the people and world peace," the Emperor also said about the pandemic.
Said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in his speech: "We will never forget, not even for an instant, that the peace and prosperity we enjoy today were built on the precious lives of the war dead and on a history of hardship.
"We will do our utmost to resolve the various challenges the world faces by working together with the international community."
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