Amid tight security, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, foreign dignitaries, and the general public joined a prayer service Sunday for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"These terrorist attacks are a serious challenge not only to the United States, but to the freedom and democracy of the world," said Koizumi in a speech at the Ceremony for All Victims of Terrorist Attacks in the U.S., which started 2 p.m. at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo's Koto Ward. The ceremony was jointly sponsored by the Japanese government and the America-Japan Society.

"We must stand up with firm resolve to strive for the eradication of terrorism, together with other nations of the world," he said, adding that Japan has decided to donate $10 million in support of the victims of the terrorist attacks and has adopted a seven-point plan in response to the attacks.

Some members of Koizumi's Cabinet, including Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka, also attended the event. His speech was followed by two minutes of silence.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker said: "The international community is not the same since (the terrorists) took the fateful step toward barbarism on Sept. 11. That date will go down in history as a horrible defining moment."

Baker added, however, that courage and compassion shown by people in and outside the U.S. has "outshown" this traumatic incident.

Then he thanked the Japanese people for "the stunning display of support," evidenced by long lines of people for signing condolence books and laying flowers at the gate of the American Embassy in Tokyo.

According to the organizers, some 3,100 people attended the ceremony. The security at the venue was very tight, with participants prohibited from bringing their bags or other belongings to their seats. Police officers with metal detectors and bomb-sniffing dogs were also on hand.

Taking the stage after Baker, Maiko Morishita, the Japanese chair of the 53rd Japan-America Student Conference, said the true nature of the incident was the conflict of beliefs, and urged participants in the ceremony to strive to make a world where different beliefs can coexist peacefully.

Sadahei Kusumoto, president of the Japanese-American Association of New York, flew in from the terrorism-torn city to attend the ceremony.

"Since the incident, people there have changed. They have united over the tragedy," he said in a speech, adding that for the local Japanese-Americans, the collapse of the World Trade Center was especially shocking since it had been the object of "their secret pride."

Completed in 1973 as the world's tallest buildings at that time, the twin towers were designed by the late Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki. "(The towers) were gone along with some 6,000 financial elites," Kusumoto said.

After the ceremony, participants from the general public went up on the stage to lay flowers.

"I wish I could go to do volunteer activities myself," said Mieko Ueda, 32, from Tokyo's Itabashi Ward. "But I cannot, because I have children, so this at least I can do."

While condemning the terrorist attacks, Ueda said she did not support possible retaliatory military actions by the U.S. "Japan, with its own bitter experience, should make an appeal to the world that it should not engage in war."