REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 99 - Beyond the Prayer

National Memorial Service for War Dead: Prime Minister's Address

In the presence of Your Majesties the Emperor and Empress, the bereaved families of the war dead, representatives of various sectors of society, and many others, we hereby hold the National Memorial Service for War Dead. The war dead who were killed in the Greater East Asia War, who died on the cruel battlefields while wishing for the peace of their country and fearing for their beloved families, who suffered the horrors of incendiary bombings and atomic bombings, or who died in faraway lands despite their longing for home, even though the war was over. The spirits of those who lost their lives in a sudden air raid at the very beginning of this strange war, the spirits of those who died in battles that put the survival of the nation and the daily lives of all its people on the line. I pray from the bottom of my heart that they may rest in peace.

The freedom and prosperity we have enjoyed since the end of the Second World War were built on the precious sacrifices of the more than three million war dead who gave their irreplaceable lives. Even in the midst of this unprecedented national crisis of a Time-Space Cataclysm, we must remember this fact. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, I offer my respect and gratitude.

We must never again repeat such a period of horror. With this pledge in mind, our nation has moved forward. I hope that we can realize a prosperous and hopeful society in which everyone can realize their full potential without the fear of war. We have joined hands with the international community and have done everything in our power to realize this vision.

As you are well aware, this earnest wish and our many efforts have been betrayed in the worst possible way. The history that should have been built has been destroyed, and 17.981 precious lives have been lost due to the completely unexpected and indiscriminate bombing. Furthermore, the United States, which carried out this premeditated slaughter, not only rejected the obligation to atone for its crimes, but went so far as to issue an unprecedented decree to erase Japan itself. As a result, Japan, regrettably, had no choice but to survive the war.

However, the beliefs that our nation has upheld are undoubtedly deeply rooted in our hearts and minds. Even in the midst of the chaos of the Time-Space Cataclysm, the Self-Defense Forces took immediate action to ensure that the horrors of war would not be repeated. We also conducted operations for peace. Even now, the entire nation is united in our efforts to restore the peaceful, normal, and prosperous society that we have known for so long. To restore normalcy. This is the only way to comfort the souls of those who died in the sudden air raid or in the course of many operations. I am convinced of this. We are determined to open up the future for those who live today and those who will live tomorrow.

In conclusion, I would like to conclude my address by praying once again for peace for the spirits of all the war dead and for the happiness of the bereaved families.

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Prime Minister's Office: Prime Minister's Statement

As we approach this new milestone in the postwar era, what kind of statement would I have originally issued? I would have faced up to the horrors of war and expressed my condolences once again to the victims of the war. I would have pledged not to engage in war, and would have called for cooperation with the international community and a contribution to world peace. I believe that the content of the statement was probably in line with the original historical trend, succeeding the previous statements that had been issued in the past. However, the opportunity to present such a discourse has probably disappeared forever due to the occurrence of the Time-Space Cataclysm.

What surrounds us now is a fundamentally uncertain world. We are in a situation where we have no choice but to say so. Needless to say, today is August 15, the 80th anniversary of the end of the war. However, in this world, it is August 15 in 1945, the very year of the end of the war, which is also not a mistake. Furthermore, since the occurrence of the Time-Space Cataclysm and our country's sudden exposure to the ravages of war, this world has undergone a history that is drastically different from reality. As a result, although many countries have already fallen out of the war, the war is still ongoing. The day the world recognizes as the day the war ended will be a different day. In other words, we must continue to live in a strange and abnormal world after the Cataclysm, where two time periods clashed. And to that end, I can assure the public of three victories that will be necessary.