VJ Day will be honoured and marked across the BBC with a special range of programming that reflects on the end of the Second World War and the conflict in the Far East – including a live radio broadcast from the Churchill War Rooms, as well as hearing stories from survivors and their relatives.
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What is VJ Day?
Victory over Japan (also known as VJ Day) marks the end of the Second World War in the Far East. While VE Day was being celebrated in Europe, conflict carried on in the Far East and the Pacific. After a further three months, the war finally came to an end.
The Second World War in South East Asia was fought by one of the most diverse forces in history, with troops drawn from across the British Empire – in particular, pre-partition India and Africa. Over 40 languages were spoken by this multi-national force which was instrumental in bringing the war to an end.
When is VJ Day?
The 80th anniversary of VJ Day takes place on Friday 15 August 2025.
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What is the BBC's 80th anniversary VJ Day coverage?
TV VJ Day coverage
Antiques Roadshow VJ Day Special
Sunday 10 August, 8:15pm
Filmed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, this episode of Antiques Roadshow features interviews with two veterans of the conflict, both aged 100 – Naval Officer Bill Redston, who narrowly escaped death in both Normandy and Burma (now Myanmar), and Private Joseph Hammond, who travelled from Ghana to join the Fourteenth Army and was involved in some of the most ferocious fighting of the conflict.
The episode also features a poignant interview with 96-year-old Michiko Hattori, who survived the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima by the USA on 6 August 1945.
Members of the public share moving stories and cherished items that provide a personal insight into what is often referred to as the ‘Forgotten War’, including several objects made by Prisoners of War, such as a food bowl carved out of a coconut, a fly swat made from old boot leather and an intricate chess set crafted by a soldier who was forced to work on the notorious ‘Death Railway’ between Burma and Thailand.
Fiona Bruce meets the children of veterans who fought on opposing sides at the Battle of Kohima in 1944, which proved a turning point in the war. Bill Harriman hears the gruelling story of a member of the Chindits – a special operations unit for the Allies who went deep behind Japanese lines – and Siobhan Tyrrell is moved to see a pair of baby shoes, one of which the infant’s father carried with him as a good luck charm through the jungles of South East Asia.
VJ Day 80: We Were There
Wednesday 13 August, 9pm on BBC Two
The "We Were There" project by BBC News has captured the testimony of war veterans throughout the 80th anniversaries of the Second World War since 2019 to form an archive of their voices for future generations.
Rachel Burden traces their stories from the invasion of British Malaya to the horror of Hiroshima and Japan's surrender in August 1945. Former prisoners of war forced to work on the notorious Burma Railroad speak about their brutal treatment and the punishing conditions they endured. Rachel speaks to one woman who was a 10-year-old child prisoner in Singapore, as well as servicemen who had fought in Europe but were then deployed to India and the Far East for the final months of the Second World War.
The One Show
Thursday 14 August, 7pm
The One Show will broadcast live from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. They’ll be sharing powerful stories from veterans including that of Corporal Birdhoi Limbu, who served with The Brigade of Gurkas – an elite unit often deployed on the front lines or behind enemy lines in the fight to stop Burma from falling into Japanese hands. His family know little about his time with the unit, but now his son Daisling – a former Gurkha himself – has turned to the curators at the Gurkha Museum in Winchester to uncover his father’s role in the campaign and to track down his long-lost military medals.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
This five-part series (adapted from Richard Flanagan's novel of the same name) charts the life of a man through a passionate love affair, his time held captive in a prisoner of war camp tasked with building the 'Death Railway', and his later years spent as a revered surgeon and reluctant war hero.
Radio and BBC Sounds VJ Day coverage
Archive on 4: Exposing Hiroshima
Saturday 2 August, BBC Radio 4
The extraordinary story of reporter Wilfred Burchett, who defied US censorship to reveal the devastating effects of the atomic bomb.
Book at Bedtime
From Monday 4 August, BBC Radio 4
Tim McInnerny reads Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World, set in post-war Japan.
Drama on 4: Hersey’s Hiroshima
Sunday 10 August, BBC Radio 4
A two-part audio drama bringing to life John Hersey’s landmark account of the Hiroshima bombing, voiced by a distinguished cast.
Matt Chorley
Wednesday 13 August, BBC Radio 5 Live
Matt Chorley will broadcast a special show live from the Cabinet War Rooms – the former secret, underground British headquarters in the basement of a purpose-built government building, known today as Churchill War Rooms. Broadcasting almost exactly 80 years after its doors were closed following Japan’s surrender at the end of WW2, Matt and a host of special guests will have incredible behind-the-scenes access to the site which includes Churchill’s bedroom, kitchen and the BBC’s broadcast room.
The History Podcast: The Second Map
From Friday 15 August, BBC Radio 4
Award-winning journalist Kavita Puri presents a three-part series uncovering Britain’s role in the war against Japan, featuring never-before-heard testimonies from veterans, civilians, and their descendants.
Any Questions?
Friday 15 August, BBC Radio 4
Special broadcast from the REME Museum to mark the anniversary.
The Jeremy Vine Show
Friday 15 August, BBC Radio 2
Jeremy Vine speaks to the broadcaster Kavita Puri and hears the voices of veterans who fought for Britain against Japan in what has been described as the 'forgotten conflict'.
Discover more history
- Once home to Nazi prisoners: The grim reality of life inside one of Britain's former WW2 prisoner of war camps
- Why some places are more 'thankful' than others. Discover the shameful secret behind the villages with no war memorial
- Who was Vera Lynn, the 'Forces' Sweetheart'?
- These newly listed First World War pillboxes in Norfolk are Brutalist marvels of British resilience – and they’re hidden in plain sight
Top image: Fiona Bruce stands alongside items commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day for Antiques Roadshow. Credit: BBC/Jonathon Ford
