Victims of One of Last WWII Air Raids on Japan Mourned 80 Years On

   Akita, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)--A memorial service was held in the northeastern Japan city of Akita on Thursday for the victims of one of the final air raids on the country during World War II.
   The ceremony, hosted by a civic group that works to share the experiences and memories of the airstrike, took place at Akita Harbor Promotion Center in the Akita Prefecture capital, marking the 80th anniversary of the bombings of the city's Tsuchizaki district by the U.S.-led Allied powers.
   Attendees, including bereaved relatives and Akita Mayor Jun Numaya, observed a moment of silence and offered flowers for the victims.
   "We must never forget that the peaceful life we have now has been built on the sacrifice of each and every person who died (in the airstrike)," Kikuo Ito, the 85-year-old leader of the group, said. "We will continue paying tribute to the victims and sending out our message wishing for peace from Tsuchizaki," he said.
   The bombings started around 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 14, 1945, the day before Japan's surrender in the war, targeting the former Nippon Oil Co.'s Akita refinery in the Tsuchizaki district, and lasted about four hours until around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 15.

(2025/08/14-15:30)