Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako embarked on a two-day visit to Hiroshima on June 19 to commemorate the victims of the atomic bomb 80 years after the end of World War II.

The war ended soon after the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

The register of atomic bomb victims lists 344,306 names across 128 books that are carefully updated and stored in Hiroshima.

The imperial couple offered flowers and bowed deeply at the cenotaph in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

This is the first memorial service trip to an atomic bombing site for the two since Naruhito ascended to the throne in 2019.

The emperor and empress visited a facility that exhibits the remnants of an atomic-bombed residence for the first time since it opened three years ago.

Many people lined the streets to welcome the couple to Hiroshima.

S/ I’m so touched. I was tearing up!

S/ The car stopped so I burned that image into my mind! I’m so happy. Welcome to Hiroshima!

S/ I hope they watch over us so that war will never happen again.

This trip is one of many in the imperial couple’s journey to mark 80 years since the war.

On June 4 and 5, the emperor, empress, and Princess Aiko visited Okinawa to remember war victims of the prefecture.

The imperial family aims to remember four important dates related to the war that Emperor Emeritus Akihito mentioned in a press conference while he was still crown prince: Okinawa Memorial Day on June 23, the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, and the end of the war on August 15.

At the time, the then-crown prince said he will work hard so that the dates will make an impression on children.

The first time Naruhito visited Hiroshima was when he was 21 years old during a trip to Okayama Prefecture where he was gathering resources for his university thesis.

He has since visited Hiroshima a few times with Masako.

Princess Aiko, who heard stories about the war from her parents, wrote in her junior high school graduation essay about the strong emotions she felt when she visited the Atomic Bomb Dome during a school trip.

It’s a feeling that has been passed down from Emperor Emeritus Akihito who experienced the war and said it must remain in our memories.

At the peace memorial museum, the emperor and empress spoke to survivors of the atomic bomb in their 90s and a younger generation of keepers who work to pass on the experiences of survivors and message of peace.

The imperial couple continues their visit on June 20.