National Memorial Service for War Dead

The National Memorial Service for War Dead (全国戦没者追悼式) is an official, secular ceremony conducted annually on August 15 by the Japanese government at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. The ceremony is held to commemorate the victims of World War II. The first memorial ceremony was held on May 2, 1952.

Shūsen-kinenbi
Shūsen-kinenbi (終戦記念日) or Haisen-kinennbi (Japanese: 敗戦記念日, "surrender memorial day") also written as shūsen-no-hi (終戦の日) or haisen-no-hi (Japanese: 敗戦の日) is an informal reference used by the public, for August 15 and related to the historical events that culminated with the ending of World War II, and the restoration of Japanese political independence.

The official name for the day, however, is "the day for mourning of war dead and praying for peace" (戦没者を追悼し平和を祈念する日). This official name was adopted in 1982 by an ordinance issued by the Japanese government.

Those events were:
 * 14 August 1945, the Imperial Japanese government gave notice to the Allies of World War II accepting the conditions of the Potsdam Declaration,
 * 15 August 1945, the day of the Shōwa surrender broadcast announcing to the people of Japan that the Imperial government had accepted the Potsdam Declaration, and unconditional surrender of the armed forces,
 * 2 September 1945, the official signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63).
 * 28 April 1952, the San Francisco peace treaty with Japan came into force which under international law ended the state war with the Allied nations, and returned independence to Japan.

It is not an official holiday under Japanese law.

Overview
By decision of the Third Yoshida Cabinet (Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida), on 2 May 1952 the Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun of Japan held a memorial service for war dead in Shinjuku Gyoen. The next such service was held on March 28, 1959. In 1963 the date was moved to August 15, the day the Hirohito surrender broadcast (玉音放送) had aired in 1945.

In the following year, the service was held at Yasukuni Shrine, and in 1965 it was moved to the Budokan where it is still held today. In 1982 the National Diet enacted a law fixing the date of the ceremony to August 15. The service is meant to honor both Japanese military casualties and Japanese civilian victims of war, over 30 million deceased individuals in total.

The event is organized by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. The Emperor and Empress are always in attendance, as well as representatives of business, labor, political, and religious organisations, and bereaved families. Roughly 6,000 attendees were recorded in 2007.

The service is scheduled at 11:51 am for one hour, and is broadcast by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation.

No invited leader has ever absented himself from the memorial, including those who have criticized visits to Yasukuni Shrine. There has never been a protest from foreign powers about the memorial.

Order of service

 * 1) Yasuo Fukuda 20080815 2.jpgng
 * 2) Entrance of the Emperor and Empress of Japan
 * 3) Anthem: Kimigayo
 * 4) Address by Prime Minister of Japan
 * 5) Moment of silence (usually at noon)
 * 6) Address by the Emperor
 * 7) Addresses by Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the House of Councillors, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Representative for the Bereaved
 * 8) Exit of the Emperor and Empress of Japan
 * 9) Offering of Flowers
 * 10) Closing

Notable events

 * 1988: Emperor Shōwa on his deathbed, is flown to the ceremony by JGSDF helicopter (without Empress Kōjun).
 * 2006: During the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yōhei Kōno's speech, an exceptionally clear reference was made to war responsibility.
 * 2007: Last ceremony with a surviving parent of a war victim in attendance.
 * 2009: Due to an irregular dissolution of the House of Representatives, there was no Speaker of the House of Representatives.
 * 2011: The moment of silence was accidentally delayed by 26 seconds due to a long speech of Prime Miniter Naoto Kan.