Japan: Japan commemorates war dead on 81st anniversary of end of World War II​.

SHOTLIST: TOKYO, JAPAN (AUG. 15, 2026) 1. JAPANESE NATIONAL ANTHEM BEING PLAYED (TWO SHOTS) 2. JAPANESE EMPEROR NARUHITO AND EMPRESS MASAKO STANDING IN SILENCE AS NATIONAL ANTHEM IS PLAYED 3. JAPANESE NATIONAL ANTHEM BEING PLAYED 4. JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SANAE TAKAICHI GIVING SPEECH (Japanese) 5. VARIOUS OF NATIONAL MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR WAR DEAD BEING HELD 6. PEOPLE VISITING YASUKUNI SHRINE (TWO SHOTS) 7. ULTRA NATIONALIST GROUP GATHERED OUTSIDE SHRINETOKYO, JAPAN — AUG. 15, 2026: A National Memorial Service for the War Dead was held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Saturday, Aug. 15, marking the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II. Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Defense Minister Koizumi also attended the ceremony. People headed to the Yasukuni Shrine afterward, where a small ultranationalist group gathered.