Prime Minister Naoto Kan held the first meeting of the Task Force Team for Collecting the Remains of the War Dead in Ioto at the Prime Minister's Office.

In Ioto, 22,000 Japanese soldiers lost their lives in the fierce battle during the last world war, and the remains of about 13,000 people were left uncollected even today. The task force team has been established based on the belief that the government should commit the utmost efforts for collecting the remains of the war dead in Ioto.

During the meeting, Mr. Yukihiko Akutsu, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, reported on information about the collective burial site for Japanese soldiers and other findings obtained from searching the National Archives of the United States and other sources.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "I would first like to express my sincere respect for all those who have been engaged for many years in collecting the remains of many people who had lost their lives in Ioto. Although 65 years have passed since the end of the war, I believe it is the responsibility of the national government to swiftly collect them all, up to the last remains, for the sake of Japan. In particular, since Ioto is within our national territory, we should make sure to collect all remains, and also extend our efforts to thoroughly collecting the remains of war dead left in foreign countries."