On the 73rd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II on Wednesday, people across the nation remembered the country's past and expressed hopes that memories of the war will not be forgotten.
At the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery in Tokyo, visitors spoke of their aspirations for a peaceful future, some criticizing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his calls to revise the pacific Constitution in order to acknowledge clearly the presence of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and enable them to conduct fully-fledged military operations.
"The anniversary of the end of the war is a good opportunity to stop and think about what happened in the past," said Kazunori Adachi, a high school history teacher from Hyogo Prefecture who had traveled to Tokyo for the summer holidays.