Japan program honoring war dead via sea voyage to end as families age
Offshore memorial ceremonies that have been held onboard the ship as part of the program, organized by a nationwide association of war-bereaved families, will also come to an end with the last ones to take place during a voyage in next month.
Their ship will depart from the Port of Kobe, western Japan, on June 1, taking families on an 11-day journey through former battle zones such as the Taiwan Strait and waters off the Philippines to offer prayers for their parents who died at sea.
According to the Japan War-Bereaved Families Association, around 220 participants from 42 of Japan's 47 prefectures, with the oldest in their 90s, will join in the voyage.
The memorial services will be held daily in each battle zone at sea. The trip will also include training sessions for future storytellers who will pass down memories of the war.
The ship will sail through waters where the Imperial Japanese Navy battleships Yamato and Musashi sank, while there will be an onboard exchange with locals during a port call in Manila, before returning to Kobe on June 11.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, out of the approximately 2.4 million Japanese soldiers who died abroad, around 300,000 were lost at sea.
"As we bring this project to a close, we want to offer a proper final tribute to those who died at sea," said the association's head Toshiei Mizuochi, 82.
The program, which began in fiscal 1991 with government support, had conducted around 450 trips for roughly 16,000 participants by fiscal 2024. The voyages took participants to numerous countries and regions including China, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands to engage in memorial and exchange activities. Offshore memorial ceremonies were held in 2011 and 2016.
While participation peaked in fiscal 2005 at 911 people, it has since declined, with only 171 participants in fiscal 2024, prompting the association to decide to end the program. In addition to the offshore memorial ceremony, two visits to the Philippines are also planned for fiscal 2025 through next March.
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