Abbey marks 80th anniversary of VJ Day
Monday, 18th August 2025
Evensong in the Abbey on Sunday 17th August marked the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, when the Second World War finally came to an end.
Among the congregation were the Japanese Ambassador to the UK, HE Hiroshi Suzuki, and members of the International Friendship and Reconciliation Trust, which was founded in 2010 by veterans of the Burma Campaign.
Prayers were said for friendship, reconciliation, and peace. The Reverend Dr James Hawkey, the Abbey’s Canon Theologian, also reflected on these themes in his sermon, saying:
'80 years on, we remember. We repent. We give thanks. We celebrate those who were witnesses of hope, and we pray that our noisy and still-bloodthirsty world might learn to commit to that vision afresh. It starts in our own hearts, and in our own communities.'
As the anthem was sung, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, lit a Candle of Peace at the High Altar.
Service and sacrifice
While VE Day (Victory in Europe) marked the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, many thousands of Armed Forces personnel were still engaged in fighting in the Far East. Victory over Japan would come at a heavy price, and VJ Day marks the day Japan surrendered on 15th August 1945, bringing the six long years of conflict to an end.
Acts of remembrance
On Friday 15th August, the Abbey observed the national two-minute silence marking the VJ Day anniversary.
Later that evening, the West Towers were lit up in white as a symbol of peace. The Abbey joined churches and public buildings across the UK in this act of remembrance, honouring the those who fought for our freedom.
