VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) 80th anniversary is celebrated on August 15, 2025, across the United Kingdom and internationally to honour the sacrifice of those who fought in World War 2.
The King and Queen attended the national commemorative service held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Veterans of the Far East conflict are called upon and honoured as special guests.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attended the remembrance. He also hosted a reception for the veterans at Downing Street.
King Charles recorded an audio message saying, “Those heroes of VJ Day gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected.”
“In times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear but the arms you link,” the monarch added.
A two-minute national silence was observed at midday.
To mark the VJ 80, hundreds of buildings across the UK, including 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, and the Houses of Parliament, will be lit up at 9 pm.
On August 15, 1945, VJ Day, Japan surrendered to the Allied forces after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
British forces, along with Commonwealth nations, played an inevitable role in the war. More than 30,000 British army soldiers lost their lives during the Far East campaign.
On August 15, 1945, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced his surrender on Radio Tokyo. This was the first time most Japanese people heard the Emperor’s voice for the first time.
