Latest news with #Yamato
Yomiuri Shimbun
02-06-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Final Tour Program Memorializing Japan's WWII Dead Sets Sail; 11 Day Cruise to Kyushu, Philippines, On-board Memorial Services Planned
The Yomiuri Shimbun Family members of those killed in World War II wave from the deck of the Nippon Maru to well-wishers seeing them off at Kobe Port in Kobe on Sunday. The final voyage of a program touring waters that became battlefields in World War II began Sunday. The large passenger ship Nippon Maru, carrying family members of the war dead, set sail from Kobe Port. The program commemorates the war dead. The voyage was part of a memorial and goodwill program launched in 1991 by the Nippon Izokukai (Japan War-Bereaved Families Association). Similar voyages were also held in 2011 and 2016. Since many participants are advanced in age, the association decided to end the program this fiscal year, making this the final voyage. Roughly 220 people — ranging in age from their teens to their 90s —joined from 42 prefectures. Over 11 days, the ship will sail around Kyushu and the waters off the Philippines, stopping at sites that include the locations where the battleships Yamato and Musashi sank. In addition to holding memorial ceremonies on board, the vessel will anchor in the Philippines so participants can interact with local children.
Yomiuri Shimbun
27-05-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
342 Names Added to Cornerstone of Peace in Okinawa; 200 Yamato Crew Members Among New Names
The Yomiuri Shimbun A new plaque with names of war dead is installed at the Cornerstone of Peace in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on Monday. ITOMAN, Okinawa — A new plaque with an additional 342 names of people who died in the Battle of Okinawa was installed at the Cornerstone of Peace' in the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on Monday. The installation came ahead of Okinawa Memorial Day on June 23, a day to commemorate those who died in the battle, which occurred toward the end of the Pacific War. The total number of names inscribed on the monument now stands at 242,567, and surviving families have renewed their hopes for peace. Of the 342 newly added war dead, 326 were from outside Okinawa Prefecture, and over 200 crewed the battleship Yamato, which sank in April 1945 on its way to Okinawa on a special attack mission. Yasuo Minamino, 60, who works to locate war dead remains, had been working toward getting the additional Yamato crew members' names inscribed on the monument. When applying to have the name of someone from outside Okinawa Prefecture added to the monument, an application must be submitted through their home prefecture. Minamino, a residence of Naha, gave a list of war dead from Osaka Prefecture to Naoki Yoneda, 57, a real estate agent from the prefecture whom Minamino had gotten to know while locating remains, and asked him to submit applications for them. As a result, 281 names of people from Osaka Prefecture, including 239 Yamato crew members, were included on the new plaque. Over 3,000 Yamato crew members reportedly died, but about 1,800 have yet to be added to the monument, according to Minamino. 'I will continue my efforts to get as many names as possible added,' Minamino said.
The Mainichi
27-05-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
Japan program honoring war dead via sea voyage to end as families age
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A Japanese project to honor the war dead by taking bereaved families to former battle sites by sea will wind down due to the aging of participants, with this year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the war. Offshore memorial ceremonies that have been held onboard the ship as part of the program, organized by a nationwide association of war-bereaved families, will also come to an end with the last ones to take place during a voyage in next month. Their ship will depart from the Port of Kobe, western Japan, on June 1, taking families on an 11-day journey through former battle zones such as the Taiwan Strait and waters off the Philippines to offer prayers for their parents who died at sea. According to the Japan War-Bereaved Families Association, around 220 participants from 42 of Japan's 47 prefectures, with the oldest in their 90s, will join in the voyage. The memorial services will be held daily in each battle zone at sea. The trip will also include training sessions for future storytellers who will pass down memories of the war. The ship will sail through waters where the Imperial Japanese Navy battleships Yamato and Musashi sank, while there will be an onboard exchange with locals during a port call in Manila, before returning to Kobe on June 11. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, out of the approximately 2.4 million Japanese soldiers who died abroad, around 300,000 were lost at sea. "As we bring this project to a close, we want to offer a proper final tribute to those who died at sea," said the association's head Toshiei Mizuochi, 82. The program, which began in fiscal 1991 with government support, had conducted around 450 trips for roughly 16,000 participants by fiscal 2024. The voyages took participants to numerous countries and regions including China, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands to engage in memorial and exchange activities. Offshore memorial ceremonies were held in 2011 and 2016. While participation peaked in fiscal 2005 at 911 people, it has since declined, with only 171 participants in fiscal 2024, prompting the association to decide to end the program. In addition to the offshore memorial ceremony, two visits to the Philippines are also planned for fiscal 2025 through next March.
India Gazette
16-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
India's rapid growth inspires new goals for Yamato Logistics
New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Daisuke Ito, CEO of Yamato Logistics India, is steering the Indian arm of Japan's leading transport company, Yamato Transport Co., through a period of strategic growth and deepening integration with the country's rapidly evolving economy. Yamato entered the Indian market in 2008, initially offering in-factory logistics services primarily to Japanese automobile manufacturers. Since then, the company has steadily expanded its operations, now covering ten major Indian cities and operating four large logistics centres. These centres manage a wide range of services, including parts storage, facility maintenance, and supply chain coordination. 'Our journey in India began with humble but strategic steps,' said Ito. 'The objective was to introduce Yamato's service values--convenience, reliability, and comfort--to a market full of potential and transformation.' Yamato Transport has long been recognised in Japan for its rigorous service management standards. Ito highlighted the efforts made to adapt and instil those values within the Indian workforce. Through close collaboration between Japanese staff and local employees, the company introduced its core logistics practices--such as inventory control, sanitation, and training--tailored to the Indian industrial environment. 'One of the pillars of our success has been the sharing of job philosophy,' Ito noted. 'We built our foundation on three key principles: reporting, communication, and consultation.' Today, Yamato Logistics India employs over 100 full-time staff who have been trained in the company's Japanese-style logistics methods. The result is a reliable, consistent service offering that caters to a growing list of corporate clients. Ito also acknowledged the rapid pace of India's economic development, especially the rise of mobile commerce and digital transactions. While Yamato India's focus remains on business-to-business logistics, he believes India's dynamic market will soon demand new services, particularly in international supply chain solutions. 'With India's industrial base growing stronger, I foresee increased demand for overseas logistics--especially to regions like the Middle East and Africa,' Ito said. 'What's important now is to achieve a balance between adaptation and harmonisation with the Indian market.' As India moves forward into a digitally driven, industrially robust future, Yamato Logistics India is positioning itself as a key player, grounded in Japanese discipline, but ready to meet the diverse demands of a transforming economy. (ANI)
Japan Forward
27-04-2025
- Science
- Japan Forward
Exhibition 'Ancient DNA: The Journey of the Japanese People'
Situated within Ueno Park, the National Museum of Nature and Science is currently holding a special exhibition titled Ancient DNA: the Journey of the Japanese People . The exhibition provides an informative overview of Japanese prehistory and draws on cutting-edge DNA technology to speculate on the origin of the first inhabitants of Japan. Japanese prehistory is dominated by the Jomon period, which commenced around 16,000 BCE. It was supplanted by the Yayoi period, during which hunter-gathering gave way to paddy rice farming. Typically, the Yayoi period is dated from 330 BCE to 300 AD, although evidence exists of paddy rice farming considerably earlier. The exhibition notes that as "paddy rice farming began in northern Kyushu 2,900 years ago…. [T]here is much debate as to exactly when the Jomon period ended" and the Yayoi period commenced. The written history of Japan was initiated with the Kofun period (300 AD to 538 AD). It was a time of cultural imports from China and the Korean peninsula. The Kofun period is named after the keyhole-shaped burial mounds that were characteristic of that era. Studies of prehistory have traditionally been carried out by examining the fossil record and archeological artifacts. In recent decades, DNA analysis has been added to the arsenal of archeology. DNA analysis began in the 1980s, and the technology continues to develop at a rapid pace. Formerly, high-quality specimens were needed for DNA to be extracted. With every passing year, however, the range of samples from which DNA can be obtained continues to grow. The Japanese people of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku are typically referred to as the Yamato. Hokkaido and Okinawa were incorporated into the Japanese nation in 1869 and 1879, respectively. The Ryukyu people of Okinawa and the Ainu of Hokkaido thereby joined the Yamato as distinct ethnic groups of Japan. These lines, the Yamato, Ryukyu, and Ainu, can all trace a genetic link to the Jomon. It is with the Jomon, however, at which definitive knowledge of the DNA chain presently ends. The cradle of humankind is thought to be central Africa. How did humankind first reach Japan? This is a question that the exhibition seeks to answer. The journey of humankind from the cradle of central Africa to the extremities of the globe.(Courtesy of the museum) A skeleton from the Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Ruins on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, is the highlight of the exhibition. DNA analysis of the largely intact 27,000-year-old skeleton was successfully conducted by a collaboration of the National Museum of Nature and Science and Nobel Prize-winning Swedish scientist, Svante Pääbo. A DNA link to the Jomon people was established. "The Jomon are composed of at least two ancestral components," suggests Pääbo, "one similar to the Shiraho individual and one similar to ancient people in Northeast Asia." They are likely "a combination of two ancestral groups," he concludes, "that probably came to Japan independent of each other." "No 4" human skeleton – excavated from the Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Ruins on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture/ Paleolithic Age / Collection: Okinawa Prefecture Archaeological Center. (Courtesy of the museum) A full-length view of "No 4" human skeleton – excavated from the Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Ruins on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture/ Paleolithic Age / Collection: Okinawa Prefecture Archaeological Center. (Courtesy of the museum) The exhibition then examines the lifestyles and societal arrangements of the Jomon people through an examination of artifacts found at archeological sites. It also highlights those particular to the Ainu and Ryukyu people. Through DNA analysis of multiple skeletons found together at various sites, it speculates on family and societal relationships and structures. An examination of Jomon skeletons found throughout Japan suggests that the Jomon people had distinctive features such as round faces and prominent jaws. They exhibited deeply chiseled features that included high noses. An average adult male was about 158 centimeters tall, the average female 146. The Jomon had well-developed muscles and a generally robust build. Somewhat surprisingly, mountain inhabitants were more delicate than those who lived on the coast. Facial reconstruction based on DNA analysis of a male skull unearthed at the Aoya Kamijichi Sites / Collection: Aoya Kamijichi Historical Park. (Courtesy of the museum) The most substantial and impressive of the Jomon artifacts on display are ceramic pots in which the bones of babies had been placed. This ritual, it is believed, was carried out so that the baby could be reborn. It was not only humans for whom the ritual was conducted, however. The skeletal remains of boars and deer have also been found within pottery, suggesting a desire for animal populations to multiply. (5) Vessel with flange and small perforations decorated with human figure – excavated from the Imojiya Site, Yamanashi Prefecture/ Middle Jomon period, 5,000 years ago / Collection: Minami Alps City Board of Education A section of the exhibition that will likely prove popular is the journey of dogs and domestic cats into Japan. Recent DNA evidence suggests that dogs likely arrived in the Japanese archipelago around 10,000 years ago, during the Jomon period. From the ancient past until the present day, therefore, dogs have been a part of Japanese society, adapting to the needs of each era. Akita dog / Modern /Collection: National Museum of Nature and Science. (Courtesy of the museum) Writing did not evolve within Japan. It was imported from China. This has resulted in a clear divide between the prehistory of Japan and its period of written history. From the Kofun period onwards, the history of Japan is meticulously documented, whereas the study of the Yayoi and Jomon periods relies on the patience and skill of archeologists. Ancient DNA: the Journey of the Japanese People is fittingly being held at The National Museum of Nature and Science, an educational hub for Japanese youth. One hopes and suspects it will inspire the next generation to continue with the task of exploring the lives and journey of ancient Japanese people. Vessel with flange and small perforations decorated with human figure – excavated from the Imojiya Site, Yamanashi Prefecture/ Middle Jomon period, 5,000 years ago / Collection: Minami Alps City Board of Education. (Courtesy of the museum) Name: Ancient DNA: The Journey of the Japanese People Where: Ueno Koen, National Museum of Nature and Science When: On through June 15 Access: The museum is located in Ueno Park, right next to the major JR Ueno Station, with access through numerous rail and subway lines. Specifics are available online. Author: Paul de Vries
