On August 15, the Embassy of Japan held a memorial service for the war dead at Caliraya, in the Philippines. Despite the site’s distance from Manila, a large number of people gathered, including Embassy officials, representatives of the Japanese school, Japanese-Filipino associations, the Manila Japanese Association, the Okinawa Prefectural Association, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, various Japanese companies, and Japanese residents.
The ceremony opened with the national anthems of both Japan and the Philippines, followed by a minute of silence for the war dead. Takeshi Okamoto, Chairman of the Manila Japanese Association, then delivered opening remarks, and a message from President Marcos was read aloud by the Deputy Chief of Mission. After all attendees offered flowers, the ceremony concluded with closing remarks by Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Kazuya Endo.
The ceremony fell on a Saturday, and turnout exceeding previous years — including students from the Japanese school — had been expected. However, due to unstable weather over the preceding two weeks, attendance came to around 250, roughly half the usual number.
Ambassador Endo’s Closing Remarks (Full Text)
Closing Remarks (Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Kazuya Endo)
Today, 81 years after the end of the war, we have been able to hold this memorial service together with people of both Japan and the Philippines, here on this ground. If I may speak personally, this is the third such service during my term, and my last Caliraya memorial service as Ambassador. I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who took the time from their busy schedules to attend.
In particular, that we have once again, as we did last year, been joined by so many from the Philippines is a testament to the depth of the bond between our two nations, and I am truly grateful.
In the last war, more than 500,000 Japanese and over 1,000,000 Filipino lives were lost here in the Philippines.
As I stand quietly before this monument, I am overcome by the deep sorrow of our countrymen who, carrying the faces of the families they left behind in their homeland, were wounded, fell to hunger and disease amid the fierce fighting, and in the end were never able to set foot on their homeland’s soil again. And likewise, we Japanese must never forget, and must keep long in our hearts, the indescribable suffering and grief borne by the many Filipinos, Japanese-Filipinos, and their families whose precious lives and peaceful daily lives were taken from them by this fighting.
Here, I offer my solemn condolences to the spirits of all who lost their lives in the war.
Even now, the remains of many still lie here in the Philippines, never having returned to their homeland. Never forgetting their presence for even a moment, and bringing home even one more set of remains as soon as possible, is an unwavering duty our country must fulfill.
To fulfill that mission, we will continue our unceasing efforts. Without forgetting the deep wounds left by the war of the past, yet resolved to overcome them, Japan and the Philippines have steadily nurtured the bond between us.
This year, marking the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, we welcomed President Marcos as a state guest, and Japan-Philippines relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Japan-Philippines relations, expanding cooperation across a wide range of fields including the economy, security, society, and culture, hold even greater potential as we move toward a new era.
I wish to report, with all my heart, to the spirits of the war dead that we have been able to build deep bonds of friendship and cooperation beyond the fires of war. Even now, tensions continue around the world, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and fighting between the United States and Iran.
The security environment surrounding our country is the most severe and complex it has been since the end of the war.
It is precisely at such a time, 81 years on, that it is all the more important to once again engrave deeply in our hearts the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace, and to pass on that memory to the next generation without letting it fade.
Since the war, Japan has built an honorable standing in the world as a nation that values peace. This is a history and a journey that Japan can be proud of before the world.
Holding firm to our resolute vow never again to repeat the devastation of war, and reaffirming here our journey toward realizing a world in which all people can live rich and fulfilling lives, I pledge to the spirits of the war dead that Japan and the Philippines will together stand at the forefront of that effort.
I once again pray for the repose of the many who gave their precious lives and became the foundation of their homeland, and I pray for the peace of the bereaved families, all attendees, and Japanese residents here, as well as for the further friendship and goodwill between Japan and the Philippines. With this, I conclude my closing remarks for this memorial service.
August 15, Reiwa 8 (2026), Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, Kazuya Endo
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