Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako made a rare visit to the tiny Pacific island of Iwo Jima on Monday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, UNN reports, citing AFP.
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The Japanese island, located approximately 1,250 kilometers south of Tokyo, was the scene of a five-week battle between military enemies Japan and the United States in 1945.
Almost all of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers on the island were killed during the battle, while the American side lost more than 6,800 killed and 19,000 wounded.
The royal couple bowed low, laying flowers and ritually pouring water on the war memorial as rain fell on the island of Iwo Jima.
Prime Minister Sigeru Isiba and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegset visited the island together last month for a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The battle inspired films and books, but it is perhaps best associated with one of the most famous photographs of World War II - in which a group of US Marines raise the American flag on the debris-covered surface of Mount Suribati.
Today, the island is closed to civilians, and its brown beaches are littered with parts of broken warships, and rust-covered abandoned tanks stand among the lush greenery.
Efforts continue on the remote volcanic island to find the remains of those killed in the war.
Naruhito's parents, Honorary Emperor Akihito and his wife Michiko, visited the island in 1994.