Day to Commemorate the War Dead and Pray for Peace speech template (Japan)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
The Day to Commemorate the War Dead and Pray for Peace is observed in Japan on 15 August, the anniversary of the radio broadcast in 1945 that announced the end of the Second World War to the Japanese people. Often called the anniversary of the end of the war, it was designated by the government in 1982 and is not a public holiday. A national memorial ceremony is held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, attended by the Emperor and Empress, and a minute of silence is observed at noon.
- Date
- August 15
- Next dates
- Sunday 15 August 2027
Tuesday 15 August 2028
Wednesday 15 August 2029 - Country
- Japan
- Tone
- Solemn – remembrance
- Typical events
- Municipal memorial ceremonies, bereaved families' associations, peace gatherings, and Japanese communities and schools abroad, often timed around the noon silence.
- Length
- 198 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 5 cue cards
The Day to Commemorate the War Dead and Pray for Peace speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 5 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- IN REMEMBRANCE1 / 5
Good morning. My name is {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} thank you for being here. Today we gather to remember all who lost their lives in the war, and to renew our hope for a lasting peace. - THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST2 / 5
At noon on 15 August 1945, a radio broadcast told the people of Japan that the war was over. Soldiers had died far from home. Civilians had died in cities, towns and villages. Families everywhere carried the loss, and many still carry its memory today. - SILENCE AT NOON3 / 5
At noon today, people across Japan pause together, in step with the national ceremony at the Nippon Budokan. Please stand, and let us remember the war dead in silence.
[SIXTY SECONDS OF SILENCE]
Thank you. Please be seated. - OFFERING OF FLOWERS4 / 5
I now invite {Representative} to offer flowers at the memorial on behalf of everyone here. Anyone who wishes may follow with a single flower.
[FLOWERS ARE OFFERED]
We offer these flowers in sorrow, and with a promise to work for peace. - CLOSING5 / 5
Peace is not a single moment; it is the work of every year that follows. Thank you for remembering with us. Please take a quiet moment for your own families and for all who were lost, and leave in your own time.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- Outside Japan, decide whether to hold the silence at local noon or at the moment of the ceremony in Tokyo, and tell guests which in your welcome.
- White chrysanthemums are the usual flowers for memorial offerings in Japan. Ask guests to wear dark, sober clothing, and avoid applause and festive music throughout.
- The same date is marked very differently elsewhere in Asia, including as Liberation Day in Korea. Keep the script focused on mourning all victims and on peace, and avoid political controversies about the war.
- Mid-August is also the Obon season in much of Japan, when many families honour their ancestors and travel home. Plan for lower attendance, or hold your gathering on a nearby day.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Statement by the Chief Cabinet Secretary on the National Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead | Statements | Prime Minister's Office of Japan. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More Japan speech templates
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