Overview
- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attended the national memorial in Tokyo, observed a moment of silence, delivered a eulogy and offered flowers.
- Five people were newly enshrined, bringing the total honored to 6,286, with about 100 attendees including bereaved families and National Police Agency chief Yoshinobu Kusunoki.
- The newly honored included Tokyo Metropolitan Police officer Aoyama, whose 2021 death was recognized last year as a public-service workplace injury, and Assistant Inspector Naoto Yamaguchi, 29, killed in February while directing traffic on an icy road in Iwakuni.
- Three civilians who died during water rescues were also added to the memorial this year.
- Yamaguchi’s father, Utaro, spoke on behalf of families, recalling a final family message two hours before the accident and describing grief that remains unresolved eight months later.