The Comfort of Words: The Emperor and the National Memorial Service for the War Dead

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the National Memorial Service for the War Dead in Tokyo on August 15, 2018. (© Jiji)

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko bow at the ceremony. (© Jiji)

Emperor Shōwa steps from a helicopter that conveyed him from his retreat in Tochigi Prefecture to Tokyo on August 13, 1988. (© Jiji)

Emperor Shōwa speaks at the National Memorial Service for the War Dead in Tokyo on August 15, 1988. (© Jiji)