The Japanese Government announced May 12 that Fumio Kishida, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera are going to attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony scheduled to be held at the Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni, Itoman City on June 23, the official Peace Memorial Day in Okinawa.

According to the Okinawa Prefecture officials, this marks the first time that both ministers attend the ceremony.

At the same time, the U.S. Government announced to Okinawa Prefecture that Jpnh V. Roos, the United States Ambassador to Japan attends the ceremony. This is the first time in 18 years that the U.S. Ambassador will attend the ceremony. The previous time that the U.S. Ambassador attended the ceremony was the 50th anniversary of the end of the WWII.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Ichita Yamamoto, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Norihisa Tamura, Bunmei Ibuki, the President of the House of Representatives, and the president of House of Councilors, Kenji Hirata are also scheduled to attend.

Consul General Alfred Magleby of the United States Consulate Genera in Naha, and some military personnel also will attend the ceremony.

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