Japan observed the 80th anniversary of its World War II surrender on 15 August with a government-hosted National Memorial Ceremony at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan. A nationwide minute of silence was held at noon, and survivors, bereaved families and officials visited Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, where the ashes of roughly 37,000 unidentified soldiers are interred. Emperor Naruhito, attending with Empress Masako, expressed “deep remorse” for the war and, for the first time, urged that the “hardships of the wartime and post-war years continue to be passed down” to younger generations. The remarks underscored the shrinking number of direct witnesses and the imperial couple’s concern that public memory not fade. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s address reinstated the word “remorse” for Japan’s path to war—terminology dropped from prime-ministerial speeches after 2013—marking a notable, though limited, shift in official rhetoric. While Ishiba avoided a full apology, the choice of wording was seen domestically as a departure from recent conservative precedent. Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, where convicted war criminals are among the war dead honored, rekindled regional tensions. Ishiba sent a ritual offering but did not attend. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Tokyo to ‘make the right choice’ and confront its historical responsibilities, highlighting the persistent diplomatic sensitivities surrounding Japan’s wartime legacy.