全国戦没者追悼式の縮小検討　新型コロナの影響受け―政府

　８月１５日に開かれる政府主催の全国戦没者追悼式について、新型コロナウイルスの感染防止のため、政府が規模を縮小する検討に入ったことが５日、関係者への取材で分かった。例年は天皇、皇后両陛下が出席される他、首相や来賓、遺族ら計約６０００人が参列している。政府内では、参列者数を削減したり、献花する人数を絞ったりする案が検討されているという。
　式典は東京都千代田区の日本武道館で開催されている。天皇陛下のお言葉や首相の式辞、献花を含め約１時間開かれる。参列遺族の高齢化が年々進んでおり、高齢者は新型ウイルスに感染すると重症化しやすいことから規模の縮小が必要と判断した。（2020/06/05-23:10）

The Japanese government is considering scaling down this year's Aug. 15 ceremony to mourn those who died in World War II in order to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading, informed sources said Friday.
   The government-sponsored annual ceremony is usually attended by about 6,000 people, including Japan's Emperor and Empress, and the prime minister, as well as relatives of the war dead.
   The ceremony, held at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward for about an hour, involves speeches by the Emperor and the prime minister, among other things.
   For this year's ceremony, the government is considering reducing the total number of participants and the number of people who will pay floral tributes, according to the sources. Aug. 15 this year will mark the 75th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the war.
   With many bereaved relatives getting old, the government sees a need to downsize the upcoming ceremony, according to the sources. Elderly people infected with the coronavirus tend to see their symptoms become severe.