Man who lost brother in WWII urges people to remember 3.1 million Japanese lives lost

Kazuhiko Takahashi, 98, the oldest war-bereaved family member to attend Saturday’s ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II in Tokyo, speaks during an interview on Aug. 5 in Kawasaki. | JIJI

JIJI

Aug 16, 2026

Kazuhiko Takahashi, 98, who was the oldest war-bereaved relative to attend Saturday’s war-end anniversary ceremony in Tokyo, calls for remembering the fact that some 3.1 million Japanese people died in World War II.

With the horrors of the war becoming a distant memory for many, Takahashi decided to attend the ceremony to mark the 81st anniversary of the end of the war, with a pledge to pursue peace.

Takahashi, who currently lives in the city of Kawasaki, lost his older brother, who was 11 years his senior, in the Philippines.

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