‘Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Discovered in Denmark
The discovery came when pearls, coins, ceramics and a box containing a gold thread were unearthed during construction work near Lisbjerg, a village located seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city.
Archaeologists found the site contained around 30 graves dating from the second half of the 10th century, when the famous King Harald Bluetooth reigned, said the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus.
According to the museum's archaeologist Mads Ravn, the graves are most likely linked to a noble family from the Viking Age — which lasted between the eighth and 11th centuries — whose farm was discovered less than a kilometer from the burial site in the late 1980s.
'This could have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards,' Ravn told AFP.
Ravn noted that the king, who introduced Christianity to what is today Denmark, tasked nobles with managing certain regions.
Researchers also discovered some human remains, such as teeth and bones, at the site.
'People basically took what was important to them into the grave because they wanted to transfer it to the other world,' the archaeologist said.
One of the graves, which scientists believe belonged to an important woman, contained a box filled with decorative objects and a pair of scissors.
The 'magnificent' box is a remarkable find, according to Ravn, with only a few having been discovered before, including one in southeastern Germany.
'It's very rare, there's only three of them we know of,' he said.
As a royal and commercial center, Aarhus was one of Denmark's most important cities during the Viking Age.
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Japan Today
40 minutes ago
- Japan Today
Japan's wartime children in Philippines search for kin, identity
Jose Villafuerte shows a photo of his father Ginjiro Takei, a Japanese imperial army officer, at his home in San Pablo, Laguna. By Cecil MORELLA After a lifetime of searching, Jose Villafuerte this month finally found the Japanese father he lost during the dark years of World War II in the occupied Philippines. The 82-year-old, a former gravedigger, was still in the womb of his Filipina mother, Benita Abril, when her partner, imperial army officer Ginjiro Takei, returned to Japan during its brutal occupation of the archipelago from 1942-45. His quest ended this month, days before the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, after an advocacy group found Takei's tomb in Japan, where he had raised a family following the war. A living half-brother and half-sister were also found, with DNA swabs sealing the family ties. "I'm excited. My mother had spent years trying to make this happen," Villafuerte, a slightly built father of eight, told AFP at his home in San Pablo city, south of Manila, ahead of his first visit to Japan. Escorted by his son, he lit a candle and prayed before his father's tombstone in the city of Takatsuki, between Kyoto and Osaka, on August 7. He met his half-brother Hiroyuki Takei for the first time a day earlier and now expects to get a Japanese passport, as well as visas for his children and grandchildren. Villafuerte is one of more than 3,000 nikkeijin, offspring of Japanese who were in the Philippines before or during World War II. Japan has in recent years begun helping in "recovering their identity", said Norihiro Inomata, country director for the Philippine Nikkei-jin Legal Support Center (PNLSC). Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met Villafuerte and two other nikkeijin during a visit to Manila in April. However, only 100 or so are still alive more than two decades after the effort was launched in 2003, Inomata told AFP. The oldest is 97. "Time is running out," he said. 'Fate's design' "It was fate's design that I would be able to visit my father's grave. I am very much blessed, because I saw my brother and he guided me here to see the tomb of my father and their relatives," Villafuerte told reporters during the Takatsuki visit. His father Takei, a Japanese army engineer, worked on the Philippine railway system as part of the occupation forces but was sent home during the war, Inomata said. Growing up in postwar Philippines, Villafuerte was the target of merciless bullying, blowback from a conflict in which half a million of the Southeast Asian country's 17 million people were killed, most of them civilians. An obelisk stands in the Chinese cemetery in San Pablo as a memorial to more than 600 male residents rounded up by Japanese troops and bayoneted to death in February 1945. "People kept reminding me my father was an evil person who killed many Filipinos," Villafuerte said, adding that it nearly caused him to drop out of school. "It hurt, because it was never my choice to have a Japanese parent." Manila grocer Maria Corazon Nagai, an 82-year-old widow and mother of three, gave up her Philippine passport for a Japanese one last April with PNLSC's help. She told AFP that her Japanese father, Tokuhiro Nagai, a civil engineer, had lived with her mother in Manila during the war. "In my family, I was the only one who looked different," said Nagai, who quit school after sixth grade when family finances bottomed out following her father's post-war death. She went to live with her maternal grandmother when her mother remarried and began working as a sales clerk in her teens. "I'm happy now that I've found my identity," said the bespectacled, soft-spoken Nagai, who still tends a cramped stall selling shampoo, noodles and condiments in Manila's downtown Zamora market. Nagai said she hid her parentage as she reached adulthood to avoid the bullying she endured as a child. She was "relieved to learn my father was not a soldier" when she obtained her birth records at the civil registry in the 1990s. 'The past is the past' Before the invasion, small groups of Japanese migrated to the Philippines from the late 19th century to escape "overpopulation", with some marrying locals, said Inomata, the legal centre director. Their offspring went into a "spiral of poverty" when the state confiscated their assets after the war, and many were unable to obtain a formal education, he said. One male descendant hid in the mountains of the southern Philippines for 10 years after the war fearing he would be harmed, Inomata said. Views toward Japan began changing in the 1970s as Tokyo completed war reparations that helped rebuild the Philippines, and Japanese investors built factories and created jobs. The two countries are now security allies. Nagai has been unable to find any Japanese relatives and couldn't locate her father's grave during her 2023 trip to Tokyo, but she will fly to Japan for a second time later this year for a holiday. Though she does not speak the language, Nagai said she now considers herself Japanese. For Villafuerte, the situation is more ambiguous. "Of course, it is difficult being a Filipino for 82 years and suddenly that changes," he said. "The past is past, and I have accepted that this is how I lived my life." © 2025 AFP
17 hours ago
Repatriation Causing Panda Panic in Japan: Adjusting to a New Era in Panda Diplomacy
On June 28, 2025, Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, bid a tearful farewell to all four of its giant pandas as they headed 'home' to China. Now the only giant pandas remaining in Japan, a land of passionate panda lovers, are the beloved twins in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, and their lease ends in February 2026. Will Japan find itself panda-less for the first time in more than 50 years? What lies behind China's apparent policy shift, and how should Japan respond? From the early postwar years, Beijing engaged in the practice of presenting pandas as 'ambassadors of friendship' to key diplomatic partners on special occasions, hoping to foster feelings of goodwill toward China. Chinese 'panda diplomacy' with Japan began in 1972, when Tokyo's Ueno Zoo welcomed a pair of giant pandas as a gift commemorating the normalization of bilateral relations. In 1984, giant pandas were designated endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Around that time, China began renting out pandas instead of giving them away. Since the 1990s, most panda loans have been provided under long-term leases, ostensibly geared to research on panda breeding and conservation. Any cubs born under the lease term are the property of the People's Republic of China. Under this system, the iconic animals have attracted throngs of visitors to Kobe Ōji Zoo and Adventure World in Wakayama, as well as Ueno Zoo. In 1994, the world's first long-term joint international giant panda breeding program was launched at Adventure World in collaboration with Chinese research centers. Over the next three decades, 17 panda cubs were born under the highly successful program. Uncertain Future With the 30-year lease drawing to a close, the four pandas that remained at Adventure World—a mother and her three offspring—returned to China this past June. In the past, China has allowed a locally born cub or a single adult to overstay the lease so as to avert a panda vacuum. In this context, the exit of all four Wakayama pandas came as a shock to many in the region and around Japan. Viewed globally, however, such removals are not that uncommon these days. Major zoos in Australia, Austria, Spain, and the United States (Washington DC) have received new pairs within a year of repatriating the pandas under their care and have continued to collaborate with the Chinese on breeding and conservation. Thus far, however, there has been no indication that Japan will receive replacements. With the Ueno twins—the female Lei Lei and male Xiao Xiao—scheduled to depart next year, must Japanese zoos and animal lovers resign themselves to a future without pandas? 'Pandamonium' reigned at Ueno Zoo on November 5, 1972, when Japan's first giant pandas, Kang Kang and Lan Lan, were introduced to the public. (© Jiji) The question came up late last April in talks between Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Moriyama Hiroshi and National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji during a visit to Beijing by the Japan-China parliamentary league, which Moriyama chairs. Early last June, retired LDP politician Kōno Yōhei, visiting Beijing as president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, lodged a request for pandas at a meeting with Premier Li Qiang. Moriyama raised the subject again on July 11 in a conversation with Vice-Premier He Lifeng at Expo 2025 in Osaka. On that occasion, the vice-premier is said to have agreed that the pandas were 'important for people-to-people exchange' between the two countries. However, at a press conference on May 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to a question about the Wakayama pandas and the possibility of their replacement, saying, 'We welcome Japanese friends to come visit them in China.' This might mean just what it says and nothing more, or it could be a way of saying that China has no plans to send more pandas to Japan. In fact, it has become more and more common for Japanese panda fans to travel as far as China to indulge their passion. The Chinese may see no point in sending giant pandas to Japan when it can instead lure Japanese enthusiasts to China. Such visitors are sure to find other things to love about the country, while providing a boost to the local tourism and hospitality industry. Rising Risks of Panda Diplomacy One possible factor motivating China's repatriation of its giant pandas is the rising concern about panda welfare among social media users in China and around the world. Animal lovers use the Internet to keep a watchful eye on the conditions and treatment of pandas in captivity, and the Chinese government must strive continuously to prove its commitment to the animals' protection. In the early 2020s, photos of an emaciated-looking pair of pandas at the Memphis Zoo went viral on Chinese social media. When the facility's male panda, Le Le, died in 2023, rumors of abuse circulated, fanning anti-US sentiment, and the Chinese government had to intervene to quell the furor. Meanwhile, after Fu Bao, an immensely popular Korean-born panda, was repatriated to China, South Korean fans grew concerned about her treatment there and launched a protest campaign, including a full-page ad in the New York Times . This incendiary climate could be one factor behind China's decision to repatriate pandas from overseas zoos without delay, as soon as the leases expire. Departments inside China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Chengdu municipal government in Sichuan province bear responsibility for the loan of pandas to overseas facilities, and the officials running those entities could be held to account if concerns about a panda's health surfaced during a loan's extension. These days, a certain degree of risk attends the use of giant pandas for political, economic, or any other purposes not directly related to animal welfare and conservation. Panda Politics? With friction between the United States and China intensifying, some Japanese commentary has promoted the notion that Beijing is using the pandas as leverage to influence Japanese decision making on economic and security issues. But the facts do not support the idea of a link between China's panda loans and tensions with the United States. After all, in 2024, China sent pandas to two major US facilities, the National Zoo in Washington, DC, and the San Diego Zoo in California. Beijing regards pandas as a tool of public diplomacy, a means of enhancing its image and nurturing friendly ties with the local populace. This is why it considered sending pandas to private American zoos back in the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War. If, indeed, Beijing hoped to use the Wakayama pandas to influence Japanese policy or politics, it must have been disappointed by the results. In April 2025, the Japanese government designated Nanki-Shirahama Airport—just a stone's throw from Adventure World—a 'specified use airport.' This means that it will be available to Japan's Self-Defense Forces for training purposes, while maintaining its primary civilian function. The potential use of that facility by US military forces in Japan has also come up for discussion. Had the threat of angering China and losing the Wakayama pandas fueled local opposition, that might have worked to China's advantage, but the Nanki-Shirahama Airport plan barely came up in the Wakayama gubernatorial election held on June 1 this year. The fact is that Japanese politics is not panda-driven, and the Chinese are fully aware of this. There has been no indication from Beijing that the decision to repatriate the pandas en masse was politically driven. But it is entirely possible that political caution was a factor in the decision-making process farther downstream. Over the past decade, the Communist Party has tightened its control over every aspect of Chinese society in the name of national security. Under the circumstances, if the local authorities in charge of overseas panda loans—in this case, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Chengdu municipal government—gave special consideration to Wakayama Prefecture at such a time, they might be suspected of condoning military cooperation between Japan and the United States. It is reasonable to speculate that these authorities deemed it expedient to remove all four pandas as soon as the lease was up so as to minimize the potential for controversy. As noted above, it has become increasingly common to repatriate all the pandas on loan to a given facility at the end of the lease, often replacing them at a later date. This may be an indication that those involved with panda exchange at the working level have less discretion than they did previously. Grounds for Hope As mentioned earlier, the Ueno pandas are scheduled to leave for China next year, potentially leaving Japan panda-less. Still, there are grounds for optimism that China will come through with replacements in the not-too-distant future. To begin with, pandas mean so much to the Japanese people that denying the nation even one panda would doubtless be viewed as a malicious act on China's part. Japanese zoos have been keeping giant pandas for more than 50 years now, and several generations of Japanese share fond memories of visiting and observing the creatures. Surely China would not wish to damage the panda's image as an ambassador of friendship. Second, Japan's pro-China lawmakers have been lobbying Beijing persistently for further panda loans, and it would hurt their reputation if those efforts came to nothing. It would not be in Beijing's interests if these China-friendly politicians lost their credibility or their incentive to work for rapprochement. My guess is that the Chinese are just searching for the right opportunity to send the next batch of pandas to Japan. Adapting to a New Era Meanwhile, as a host country, Japan needs to be careful about how it approaches the topic. Media coverage of the Wakayama pandas' repatriation has tended to highlight the impact on the local economy. Such discourse could easily create the impression that Japan's desire for more pandas is driven primarily by economic self-interest. The exploitation of pandas for profit runs counter to China's official position on the purpose of the loans—namely, panda conservation—and it would not sit well with the world's panda lovers. Over the past few decades, China has made a point of showcasing its scientific research on giant pandas and its efforts to return the animals to the wild, while doing its best to keep politics and economics out of the discussion. By contrast, politics and economics have come to dominate the conversation in Japan's discourse spaces. This anachronistic focus could undermine Japan's ability to engage in productive dialogue with China and the rest of the international community. Local governments in Japan that are hoping to host pandas have already made note of this problem and are doing what they can to re-frame the issue. The Chinese use of pandas as 'ambassadors' has always been based on unsolicited Chinese offers of leases of the animals, which have been gratefully accepted by the recipient countries. In light of this history, it seems silly to start accusing the Chinese government of using pandas for political or economic ends. If other countries are unhappy with the situation, then they can always refuse the loans. For many years, giant pandas were moved about at the whim of human beings for reasons having little to do with the welfare of the animals or the species. Nowadays, China is under pressure to demonstrate that its top priority is protecting pandas and releasing them into the wild. This is a development to be welcomed. Similarly, Japan's foremost concern should be passing on the knowledge it has gained through decades of care and study and considering how best to apply it to panda conservation. (Originally written in Japanese. Banner photo: The giant panda Liangbin, soon to be returned to China, on June 27, 2025, her last day of public display at Wakayama Prefecture's Adventure World. © Jiji.)
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
'Nobody else knew': Allied prisoners of war held in Taiwan
A man walks past the names of prisoners of war etched into granite at the Taiwan POW Memorial and Peace Park. By Allison JACKSON In a small urban park in Taiwan, more than 4,000 names are etched into a granite wall -- most of them British and American servicemen held by the Japanese during World War II. The sombre memorial sits on the site of Kinkaseki, a brutal prisoner of war camp near Taipei and one of more than a dozen run by Japan on the island it ruled from 1895 until its defeat in 1945. For decades, little was known of the POW camps, said Michael Hurst, a Canadian amateur military historian in Taipei, who has spent years researching them. Many survivors had refused to talk about their experiences, while POWs held elsewhere in Asia had been unaware of "the horrors" in Taiwan, and museums and academics had glossed over them, Hurst told AFP. After learning of Kinkaseki in 1996, Hurst spearheaded efforts to locate other camps in Taiwan, build memorials for the veterans, and raise public awareness about their bravery and suffering. Starting in 1942, more than 4,300 Allied servicemen captured on battlefields across Southeast Asia were sent to Taiwan in Japanese "hell ships". Most of the POWs were British or American, but Australian, Dutch, Canadian and some New Zealand servicemen were also among them. By the time the war ended, 430 men had died from malnutrition, disease, overwork and torture. The harsh conditions of Taiwan's camps were long overshadowed by Japan's notorious "Death Railway" between Myanmar and Thailand, Hurst said. More than 60,000 Allied POWs worked as slave laborers on the line, with about 13,000 dying during construction, along with up to 100,000 civilians, mostly forced labour from the region. Their experiences were later captured in the 1950s war movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai". But as stories of Kinkaseki slowly emerged, it became "known as one of the worst PoW camps in all of Asia", Hurst said. 'Starving and overworked' Canadian filmmaker Anne Wheeler's physician father was among the more than 1,100 prisoners of war held in Kinkaseki. Wheeler said she and her three older brothers "grew up knowing nothing" about their father's ordeal in the camp, where the men were forced to toil in a copper mine. After her father's death in 1963, Wheeler discovered his diaries recording his experience as a doctor during the war, including Taiwan, and turned them into a documentary. "A War Story" recounts Ben Wheeler's harrowing journey from Japan-occupied Singapore to Taiwan in 1942. By the time her father arrived in Kinkaseki, Wheeler said the men there "were already starving and being overworked and were having a lot of mining injuries". They were also falling ill with "beriberi, malaria, dysentery, and the death count was going up quickly," Wheeler, 78, told AFP in a Zoom interview. Trained in tropical medicine, the doctor had to be "inventive" with the rudimentary resources at hand to treat his fellow PoWs, who affectionately called him "the man sent from God", she said. Inflamed appendices and tonsils, for example, had to be removed without anesthesia using a razor blade because "that was all he had", she said. Taiwan was a key staging ground for Japan's operations during the war. Many Taiwanese fought for Japan, while people on the island endured deadly U.S. aerial bombings and food shortages. Eighty years after Japan's surrender, the former POWs held in Taiwan are all dead and little physical evidence remains of the camps. At 77, Hurst is still trying to keep their stories alive through the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society and private tours. His book "Never Forgotten" is based on interviews with more than 500 veterans, diaries kept by PoWs and correspondence. A gate post and section of wall are all that remain of Kinkaseki, set in a residential neighbourhood of Jinguashi town, surrounded by lush, rolling hills. On the day AFP visited, a Taiwanese woman taking a tour with Hurst said she had "never" studied this part of World War II history at school. "It's very important because it's one of Taiwan's stories," the 40-year-old said. Hurst said he still receives several emails a week from families of PoWs wanting to know what happened to their loved ones in Taiwan. "For all these years, maybe 50 years, they just kept it to themselves," Hurst said. "They knew what they'd suffered, and they knew that nobody else knew." © 2025 AFP
