Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Iwoto, formerly known as Iwojima, in southern Tokyo on April 7 to pay their respects to the war dead.

This was the first visit by the imperial couple to the island that became a fierce battleground between Japan and the United States during World War II that ended 80 years ago.

About 22,000 soldiers of the then Imperial Japanese Army perished on the island, located about 1,200 kilometers south of central Tokyo.

The emperor and empress laid flowers at a monument for Japan's war dead and gave a deep bow.

Their itinerary on Iwoto also included visits to a cenotaph for islanders who died as military civilian personnel and a memorial for all of Japan's and the United States' war dead.

They were also scheduled to meet with the bereaved families of the war dead and descendants of islanders who were forced to evacuate from Iwoto during the war.