PRESS CONFERENCE
80th Anniversary of World War II Series
Toshiei Mizuochi, Chair of Japan War-Bereaved Families Association

11:00-11:45 Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

Eighty years after the last shot was fired, World War II continues to define Japan, its views of itself and its place in the world. At the same time, the war remains an intensely contentious issue, which continues to stir deep emotions as its meaning is debated and fought over. There remains no consensus within Japan on the nation's responsibility for the war, the morality of its role, or whether it even committed certain atrocities.

Japan is now approaching a potential watershed moment. The generation that fought in the war is passing from the scene. The task of deciding how to remember what they did, and what lessons to take from those memories, will soon fall entirely on generations who came of age after the conflict. How will Japan remember the war? Which of the conflicting narratives will prevail? The disputes extend even to the name of the conflict, and whether it should be called World War II, the Pacific War or the Great East Asian War.

To discuss the essential and contested issue of war memory, the Club is pleased to welcome speakers from the Japan War-Bereaved Families Association, or Izokukai, the nation's largest and most important group representing families of those who died in World War II. The Association has been a leading voice in defining how Japan views the war and shaping its public discourse. We will hear from the Association's chairman, Toshiei Mizuochi, a former LDP lawmaker and vice minister of education, and Yoko Hosogai, who heads an ongoing project on war memory. Please join us for what promises to be a rich discussion!


How to attend: 
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in and giving your name and contact details at the reception.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live  

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/PTufPc9WJok1fHYq8

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.
Professional Activities Committee