Japan's largest association of war-bereaved from the Battle of Peleliu, one of the islands of Palau, will disband next spring because its aging membership is shrinking, members said Saturday.
The association, based in Gunma Prefecture, will disband after making a trip to the tiny Pacific island roughly 1,000 km east of the Philippines to commemorate those who died in the fierce battle there.
The group's membership now stands at 270, compared with about 1,400 in 2005.