Eighty-one years have passed since the Tokyo air raid, which occurred on March 10, 1945, when around 100,000 lives were claimed in a single night due to U.S. military bombings. A memorial service, the Spring Memorial Service, was held at the Tokyo Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward, hosted by the Tokyo Memorial Association, where commemorative prayers were offered by members of the Imperial Family and bereaved families to honor the victims. Despite the rainy weather, family members and local residents visited the memorial throughout the day to pay their respects.

Among those attending was 83-year-old Yoko Yamaguchi, who lost her family to the air raid. Along with her husband, she brought flowers to the site in memory of their loved ones. While she shared that one cousin survived and was raised almost like a sibling, she noted that discussing the air raid and family losses was avoided by her family. However, she has attended the memorial service annually for the past decade. After losing her cousin last year, she reflected on the inevitable loss of those who experienced the war firsthand, stressing the importance of continuing to pray for peace, especially as she witnesses ongoing conflicts in places like Iran, where civilians are often the victims of war.

The Tokyo air raid on March 10, 1945, involved approximately 300 U.S. B29 bombers and the dropping of around 1,700 tons of incendiary bombs on the city. It is estimated that about 100,000 people lost their lives in the catastrophic fires that ensued, although the exact figures remain unclear. The devastation resulted in roughly one million people affected and around 270,000 homes destroyed, marking a significant and tragic event in Japan's wartime history.