Japan on Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123, the world’s deadliest single-aircraft accident, which killed 520 passengers and crew when a Boeing 747 struck Osutaka Ridge in Gunma Prefecture on Aug. 12, 1985. Commemorations began Monday evening with relatives and local residents launching 200 lanterns on the Kanna River at the foot of the mountain. At dawn on the anniversary, hundreds of bereaved families, survivors and airline employees climbed the steep ridge to lay flowers at scattered grave markers. A larger memorial ceremony followed, where 520 candles were lit and a nationwide moment of silence was observed at 6:56 p.m., the moment the jet crashed. Japan Airlines’ president and senior transport officials joined the rites, renewing pledges to maintain aviation safety. Four decades on, preserving the memory of the disaster is becoming harder. The average age of the victims’ relatives now tops 70, and only 17 JAL employees currently on the payroll experienced the accident, a figure the carrier expects to fall to zero next year. The victims’ group “8.12 Liaison Association” is urging the government and industry to institutionalise the lessons learned and expand support for ageing relatives who can no longer make the demanding memorial climb. This year’s milestone also prompted fresh scrutiny of the investigation. Broadcasters obtained a former JAL director’s interrogation notes suggesting political pressure curtailed questioning of Boeing over a faulty repair, while TV Asahi located more than 140 previously unseen photographs of the Self-Defense Forces’ rescue effort. Former paratroopers who descended on the burning wreckage have given new testimony, underscoring the tragedy’s lasting impact on Japanese aviation policy and disaster response.