NHK reported online on Sunday that a ceremony was convened on Ioto Island on Saturday to commemorate the U.S. and Japanese soldiers who were killed in the brutal battle on the Pacific island in the final days of WWII. Some 40 people from both sides attended the ceremony, including U.S. Embassy Acting DCM Lang, who said in delivered remarks: “The U.S. and Japan abandoned hatred, accepted reconciliation, and built a friendship and a cooperative relationship that are a model for the world. We wish to continue to remember the sacrifice of the fallen.” The network added that while the annual ceremony is customarily held in March, this year’s event was postponed until December and the number of participants was significantly restricted due to the pandemic.