YOKOHAMA — About 100 people participated in the 15th annual memorial service at the British Commonwealth War Cemetery on Saturday to pay their respects to soldiers and others from Allied nations who died in Japan as prisoners of war during World War II.
Gertie Mulder, minister plenipotentiary political affairs at the Netherlands Embassy in Tokyo, said the annual service "is a token of respects to these prisoners of war who faced unimaginable hardships, and a simple but fitting gesture to honor their memory."
"By honoring those who perished more than 60 years ago, we are also voicing our dedication to the men and women who have risked life and limb since then to promote international peace," she told the participants at the cemetery in Yokohama's Hodogaya district.