Japan recently commemorated the infamous Pearl Harbor attack with a solemn memorial event. However, for the first time, there were no survivors present during the remembrance ceremony. This significant absence marks a poignant moment in the country's history, as it heralds the passing of the last firsthand witnesses of the epoch-shifting event.

The way Japan acknowledges its wartime history, especially the Pearl Harbor attack, is a deeply sensitive and significant issue. The country's society places a great deal of importance on respect for the past and for those who were involved in the war. The observance of the no-survivor scenario at the recent Pearl Harbor memorial signifies the transition of the tragic event from living memory into historical record.

In the US, commemorations of significant historical events like Pearl Harbor are also held with great reverence and solemnity. There is a similar sense of an ongoing handover from the generation who experienced these events firsthand to those learning about them from a historical perspective. The absence of survivors at such events is equally seen as a poignant moment and a reminder of the passing of time.