Tokyo - Japan has marked the 66th anniversary of its surrender in World War II with sombre remembrances across the country and a memorial in Tokyo led by the emperor. The ceremonies come as the country struggles to recover from this year's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Emperor Akihito, whose father made the unprecedented 1945 national radio address announcing the war could not be won, offered prayers for the dead and hopes for peace at Monday's memorial in Tokyo. Prime Minister Naoto Kan also attended.
The annual ceremonies cap a series of remembrances of the war's disastrous final months. Gatherings are also held each year for the anniversaries of the bloody battle of Okinawa in June and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both in early August. - Sapa-AP