Japan's emperor and his family pray in Okinawa for the victims of the island battle 80 years ago

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his family prayed on Wednesday in Okinawa for all the war dead in one of the bloodiest battles of World War II that was fought on the southern Japanese island 80 years ago.

The commemoration comes as many residents of Okinawa and the nearby islands are increasingly concerned about the possibility of another war as regional tensions with China escalate.

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