戦後81年の終戦の日、全国戦没者追悼式が行われる

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is August fifteenth. Eighty-one years ago today, the Second World War ended for Japan. This evening's story is about the national memorial ceremony held in Tokyo for those who died in the war. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

August fifteenth is the day the war ended. This year marks eighty-one years since the end of the war.

It means the end of the war.

The national memorial ceremony for the war dead, hosted by the government, was held at the Budokan arena in Tokyo.

It means hosting or organizing an event.

The attendees mourned the roughly three point one million people who died in the war.

It means to mourn — to grieve for someone who has died.

At noon, everyone at the ceremony offered a minute of silent prayer.

It means silent prayer — a moment of silence for the dead.

Prime Minister Takaichi attended the ceremony for the first time as prime minister and delivered a formal address.

It means a formal address given at a ceremony.

Three thousand two hundred seventy bereaved family members were expected to attend, and for the second year in a row, more than half were born after the war.

It means a bereaved family — the relatives someone leaves behind.

How to pass on memories of the war to younger generations has become a major challenge.

It means a generation.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

Eighty-one years.

At noon — they observed one minute of silence.

One thousand eight hundred forty people — the most ever.

That's all for today. August fifteenth is a quiet day of remembrance across Japan, and passing these memories on to younger generations matters more with each passing year. Thank you for listening, and see you tomorrow.