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There were 110 participants at this year’s service.
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Approximately 1,700 gravestones are spread out over the 8-acre war cemetery.
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Morii Motoki, left, helps lay a wreath as other participants sing “Home, Sweet Home.”
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Photos of Saitō (left) and Nagase (right), now deceased, were placed at the war cemetery during the memorial service.
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Amemiya Tsuyoshi is grateful for the opportunity to meet directly with former POWs, saying, “I’m terribly sorry about what they’ve suffered, but I’m also very happy that they’ve taken the trouble to attend. It’s a first step toward forgiveness, and we need more opportunities for exchange.”
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Participants sing in remembrance of each country’s POWs.
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Saitō Naoko hopes that subsequent generations will continue the memorial service. “My 25-year-old son is beginning to realize that it’s an important event launched by his grandfather.”
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Kobayashi Kengo has been a CWGC manager since 2000 and regards the care of the graves and memorials in Yokohama as a personal mission.
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