TOKYO, August 15. /TASS/. A nationwide commemoration of the 78th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II will be held at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo.
Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend the event and address the nation. This will be Kishida's second speech on the anniversary of the surrender announcement since he took office as prime minister in 2021. Last time, Kishida, like his predecessors Yoshihide Suga and Shinzo Abe, pointed to the so-called active pacifism in his speech, saying that Japan has followed the path of peace since World War II without mentioning the responsibility for aggression against Asian countries. This is usually emphasized by China, North Korea and South Korea, which suffered under Japanese occupation during the war.
Despite the stabilization of the COVID-19 situation and no restrictions on public events, about 2,000 people will be allowed into the Nippon Budokan Hall, which is three times fewer than before the pandemic. Due to the advanced age of the ceremony participants, social distance rules will be enforced.
In addition, representatives from nine western prefectures, including Kyoto, Hyogo and Hiroshima, will not be able to attend the ceremony due to Typhoon Lan, which is moving toward Japan from the Pacific Ocean. The tropical storm has already caused the cancellation of more than 550 flights. High-speed trains may also be suspended.