Japan's local war memorial ceremonies grapple with Taiwan's invitation exclusion

Gifu Prefecture will hold a war‑dead memorial ceremony on 15 August as part of the “Future Project,” with events at Gifu Gokoku Shrine, Ōgaki Gokoku Shrine and Hida Gokoku Shrine. The ceremony aims to honor local victims of the war and connect past sacrifices to the present.

In Nagasaki, officials are preparing the annual peace‑prayer ceremony for 9 August, the anniversary of the atomic bombing. Taiwan’s representative in Fukuoka, Chen Ming‑chun, criticised the city for not sending an official invitation to Taiwan, noting that Taiwanese victims were also killed in the bombing. He highlighted the differing approaches of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where Taiwan received invitations, and called for equal recognition of all victims regardless of nationality.