Japanese Government to Hold the March 11 Memorial Service at the National Theater

It's rather symbolic and ironic that the commemorative event for the March 11, 2011 disaster is going to be held at the National Theater where "kabuki" performance is regularly held.

(Almost worthy of Onion News coverage...)

To be fair, as a nation that is not very overtly religious, they can't pick a cathedral, temple or shrine for a ceremonial event to be conducted by the national government. There must be a (perceived) security concern also, judging by the way the police has been reacting to peaceful demonstrators.

I found a statement by the Prime Minister's Office announcing the event, laden with customary, formal cliche as to how regrettable and sorrowful was the loss of lives in this unprecedented disaster. (For those of you who read Japanese, you would understand what I mean from the Japanese text below. So cliche that it means almost nothing.)

From the Prime Minister's Official Website (2/24/2012):

政府は、来たる３月11日（日）午後２時30分から東日本大震災一周年追悼式を国立劇場において執り行います。

On the one year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 disaster, the government will conduct the memorial ceremony at the National Theater.

　東日本大震災の発生から、１年が経とうとしています。

It has been almost a year since the start of the March 11, 2011 disaster.

　東日本大震災は、被災地域が広範に及び、極めて多くの尊い命を奪うとともに、国民生活に多大な影響を及ぼした未曽有の大災害でした。この突然の地震とその直後の津波等で亡くなられた方々の無念の思いと、最愛の家族を失われた御遺族の皆様の深い悲しみに思いを致しますと、誠に痛恨の極みであり、哀惜の念に堪えません。

Wide areas were affected by this unprecedented disaster in which extremely large number of people lost their precious lives and people's way of living was significantly affected. When I think about the deep sorrow of people whose family members were lost in the disaster, it is a matter of greatest regret and sorrowfulness.

　ここに震災により犠牲となられた方々に対し哀悼の意を表すべく、追悼式の当日の午後２時46分を期して式場において１分間の黙とうを捧げ、心から御冥福をお祈りすることとしております。国民の皆様におかれましても、これに合わせて、それぞれの場所において、心から黙とうを捧げられますようよろしくお願い申し上げます。

To express our sorrow to those who perished in the disaster, we will stand in silent prayer for one minute starting 2:46PM on the day of the memorial service [March 11] at the National Theater. I would like to ask the Japanese citizens to pray in silence at the same time, wherever you happen to be.

　平成２４年２月２４日
東日本大震災一周年追悼式実行委員長
内閣総理大臣　野田佳彦

February 24, 2012
Executive chairman of the one year anniversary memorial service for the March 11, 2011 disaster
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda

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