Japan Emperor visits Iwo Jima 80 yrs after fierce battle

Post by: Pratik Kumar

Photo : AFP

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his wife, Empress Masako, visited Iwo Jima island on Monday. They came to remember and pray for the people who died in a big fight there during World War II, 80 years ago. This was the first time both of them visited the island. They were not born during the war.

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The Emperor and Empress went to three memorial places on the island. They also met people whose family members had died there, and people whose families used to live on the island.

Earlier this year, on his birthday, the Emperor talked about the war and said it is very important to remember the sad parts of history. He said young people should learn about what happened, so they understand the pain of war. His grandfather, Emperor Hirohito, was Japan’s king during World War II, when Japan fought and took over parts of Asia.

The island is now called Iwo-to, but it is the same place. In 1945, Japan and the United States had a very strong battle there. The U.S. wanted to take the island to move closer to Japan. The U.S. thought the battle would be quick, but Japanese soldiers made tunnels underground and fought back for five weeks.

This fight was one of the hardest in the war. About 21,000 Japanese and almost 7,000 U.S. soldiers died. Many Japanese bodies are still missing. Before the battle started, over 1,100 people lived on the island. All of them had to leave, except 103 men who were taken to help the army. Now, people from those families can visit for special events, but they can’t live there anymore.

This visit by the Emperor happened around 10 days after Japan and the U.S. had a joint event to remember the battle. Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth went to that event with other leaders and a few war veterans. They all came together to show respect to the people who died from both countries.

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