Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko greet well-wishers at the Imperial Palace on Dec. 23, the emperor’s 82nd birthday. (The Asahi Shimbun)Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko greet well-wishers at the Imperial Palace on Dec. 23, the emperor’s 82nd birthday. (The Asahi Shimbun)

A monument dedicated to civilian sailors who died in World War II stands on Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. During the war, many merchant vessels were commandeered by the military and sunk by Allied forces.