終戦記念日

Today is 終戦記念日 (V-J Day).
The 64th anniversary of the day that Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces and ended World War Two. (I wrote about this last year too. Click here to read that post.)

1945 August 16 newspaper headline

Did you know that the Emperor of Japan addressed the people of Japan over the radio to tell them that Japan was surrendering?
It was the first time any Emperor of Japan addressed the public personally.

Here’s an English translation of part of his speech to the people of Japan:

The enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which, to do damage, is indeed incalculable, taking toll of many innocent lives.
If we continue to fight, it would not only result in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization…

昭和天皇 (Showa Emperor of Japan), August 1945

昭和天皇 ("Showa Era" Emperor of Japan)

第一次世界大戦

Yesterday was “Veterans Day” in America. The day to remember those who died defending their country.

November 11 is the date of the holiday because 第一次世界大戦 (World War One (WW1)) ended at 11:00 A.M. on November 11, 1918.
The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month…90 years ago yesterday.

More than 40 million people died in the four years of the First World War!
After the war ended, the 国際連盟 (League Of Nations) was started to ensure there would be no more major wars in the world. Obviously it didn’t succeed, and at the end of 第二次世界大戦 (World War Two (WW2)), (usually referred to as 太平洋清掃 (The Pacific War) in Japan), the League Of Nations was replaced by the 国際連合 (United Nations).