World · East Asia & Pacific · 4 hrs ago
Japan's war memorial trips bring families to overseas battlefields
A Japanese government program helps families visit places where relatives died in World War II.
In February, about 80 people traveled to the Philippines, including Takahiro Kawaguchi, who visited the area where his grandfather was killed in 1945.
At the site, the group prayed and sang a Japanese song; his grandfather’s remains have never been recovered.
The program began in 1976 and marks its 50th anniversary in fiscal 2026, with about 14,000 visits across 20 regions.
Only 53 percent of Japanese war dead overseas have had their remains recovered, and nearly 370,000 are still missing in the Philippines.
The trips also face practical limits: older relatives may no longer be able to travel, and some cannot afford the costs not covered by the government.
Some planned trips were canceled for lack of applicants, while a pilgrimage to India is planned for fiscal 2026.
About 80 people traveled to the Philippines in February under a Japanese government program for families of people killed overseas during World War II.
The visits give relatives a chance to pay their respects at battlefields where loved ones died.
The program has recorded about 14,000 participant visits across 20 regions since it began in fiscal 1976.
The remains of about 1.28 million, or 53 percent, of the estimated 2.4 million Japanese who died overseas during the war have been recovered.
Aging family members and travel costs are among the challenges facing the program.
- Who
- Bereaved families, including grandchildren of Japanese people killed overseas during World War II.
- What
- Families visit overseas battlefields to pay their respects. The government program also aims to support efforts to locate and recover remains.
- When
- The featured trip took place in February. The program marks its 50th anniversary in fiscal 2026.
- Where
- The trip described was to Luzon in the Philippines, including areas near Ipo Dam and Masinloc.
- Why
- The program began in response to requests from bereaved families seeking to visit places where relatives died.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Japan launched the memorial pilgrimage program in response to requests from bereaved families.
About 80 people traveled to the Philippines under the program, including Takahiro Kawaguchi and Hiroshi Ito.
The program marks its 50th anniversary, and a pilgrimage to India is being held.
Planned trips to North Borneo and Uzbekistan were canceled because too few people applied.
- Program launch
- Fiscal 1976
- Program visits
- About 14,000 participant visits across 20 regions
- Overseas war dead
- Estimated 2.4 million Japanese
- Remains recovered
- About 1.28 million, or 53 percent
- Unrecovered remains in the Philippines
- Nearly 370,000
What people are saying
My grandfather's remains were never recovered, and I'd always wanted to visit the place where he died to pay my respects.
All I want is to bring my father's remains home.
I hope the government will do more to recover the remains.
Having to pay several hundred thousand yen is a heavy burden.