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The Star
2 days ago
- General
- The Star
Son of Japanese soldier who died during WWII in Indonesia cherishes pebbles as substitute for remains
Mitsuaki Yoshino heads to the Nippon Budokan Hall for the 80th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Friday. - Photo: The Yomuri Shimbun TOKYO: Mitsuaki Yoshino has few memories of his father, Kumazo, who died in Indonesia during World War II. He considers three pebbles to be the soul of his late father, as he collected them near where Kumazo is thought to have died. 'I will never forget my father and will never allow such a war to happen again,' said Yoshino, 87, of Machida, Tokyo, who attended the 80th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead on Friday (Aug 15). Kumazo was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army on Yoshino's 4th birthday in 1941. He was stationed in Western New Guinea – part of present-day Indonesia – where he was responsible for transporting supplies and personnel. He is believed to have died from an illness in 1944. According to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry, supply lines for the Japanese military in Western New Guinea had been disrupted, leaving about 53,000 soldiers to die from infectious diseases and malnutrition. After Kumazo's death, his wife avoided talking about him and burned nearly all letters and documents related to him. 'I think my mother didn't want to recall sad memories,' Yoshino said. Yoshino found out about the existence of a video of Kumazo in his military uniform after he left for the front and obtained a photo taken from it. 'This keeps my father's memory alive,' Yoshino said. Yoshino's father, Kumazo is seen third from left in this picture taken from video footage. - The Yomuri Shimbun file About 20 years ago, Yoshino visited the town of Sarmi in Papua Province, where Kumazo is said to have died, hoping to learn what his father had felt when he went to the battlefield. Passing through the dense jungle, Yoshino was greeted by the sight of an emerald-green sea stretching out before him and thought, 'Why did they have to fight a war in such a beautiful place?' Walking near the coast, Yoshino saw three round pebbles under a palm tree and instinctively felt 'They must be my father's soul.' He brought the pebbles in place of Kumazo's undiscovered remains back to Japan, where he placed them his father's grave. 'He must have been longing to come back to Japan,' Yoshino said. Over the last four decades, Yoshino has attended war memorial services to pray for the repose of his father's soul. Yoshino also is involved in the activities of a bereaved families association, organizing memorial events and study tours to battle sites and offering chrysanthemums he has grown himself at Yasukuni Shrine. Friday marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and the aging of the war victims' families has made it difficult for many to attend memorial services. 'I'm grateful that I have been able to keep attending the [anniversary] services,' Yoshino said. 'I will never forget my father and will continue to strive for peace.' - The Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Son of Japanese Soldier Who Died During WWII in Indonesia Cherishes Pebbles as Substitute for Remains
Mitsuaki Yoshino has few memories of his father, Kumazo, who died in Indonesia during World War II. He considers three pebbles to be the soul of his late father, as he collected them near where Kumazo is thought to have died. 'I will never forget my father and will never allow such a war to happen again,' said Yoshino, 87, of Machida, Tokyo, who attended the 80th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead on Friday. Kumazo was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army on Yoshino's 4th birthday in 1941. He was stationed in Western New Guinea – part of present-day Indonesia – where he was responsible for transporting supplies and personnel. He is believed to have died from an illness in 1944. According to the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry, supply lines for the Japanese military in Western New Guinea had been disrupted, leaving about 53,000 soldiers to die from infectious diseases and Kumazo's death, his wife avoided talking about him and burned nearly all letters and documents related to him. 'I think my mother didn't want to recall sad memories,' Yoshino said. Yoshino found out about the existence of a video of Kumazo in his military uniform after he left for the front and obtained a photo taken from it. 'This keeps my father's memory alive,' Yoshino said. About 20 years ago, Yoshino visited the town of Sarmi in Papua Province, where Kumazo is said to have died, hoping to learn what his father had felt when he went to the battlefield. Passing through the dense jungle, Yoshino was greeted by the sight of an emerald-green sea stretching out before him and thought, 'Why did they have to fight a war in such a beautiful place?' Walking near the coast, Yoshino saw three round pebbles under a palm tree and instinctively felt 'They must be my father's soul.' He brought the pebbles in place of Kumazo's undiscovered remains back to Japan, where he placed them his father's grave. 'He must have been longing to come back to Japan,' Yoshino said. Over the last four decades, Yoshino has attended war memorial services to pray for the repose of his father's soul. Yoshino also is involved in the activities of a bereaved families association, organizing memorial events and study tours to battle sites and offering chrysanthemums he has grown himself at Yasukuni Shrine. Friday marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and the aging of the war victims' families has made it difficult for many to attend memorial services. 'I'm grateful that I have been able to keep attending the [anniversary] services,' Yoshino said. 'I will never forget my father and will continue to strive for peace.'
The Star
13-05-2025
- General
- The Star
80 years after WWII, Japanese junior high school badge found in Okinawa natural cave
This school badge believed to be from Kainan junior high school was found in a cave in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. - The Yomiuri Shimbun ITOMAN, Okinawa (Japan): Along with the remains of people who died in World War II, a badge from a junior high school was found recently in a gama, which in the Okinawa dialect means natural cave, in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. Efforts are underway to identify the remains using the badge, which is believed to be from Kainan junior high school, a private school that was forced to close nine years after its foundation because of the war. The remains may include those of students who were mobilized as student soldiers and died during the fierce Battle of Okinawa, according to people involved in the efforts. Journalist Tetsuji Hamada, 62, who is engaged in efforts to collect articles left by the war dead and return them to their relatives. On April 24, Hamada showed the badge to relatives of war dead who were students at Kainan junior high school, in a meeting room in Naha. 'It may have been placed on the cap of a person who died in the war,' said Hamada, who then encouraged them to apply for the DNA analysis of the remains. The 4-centimeter-long badge was found on Feb. 23 by a group led by Hamada and his wife Ritsuko, 60, in a crevice of a rock at the cave in Itoman where many soldiers and others died during the war. It was determined to be from Kainan junior high school. Tetsuji Hamada, far right, speaks about items that are believed to have been left by people who died in World War II in Okinawa Prefecture in Naha on April 24, 2025. - Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun According to the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman, the school was founded in 1936 as the only private junior high school in the prefecture in the former village of Maji (now part of Naha). During the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, 68 students from the school were mobilized into military units and 66 lost their lives. The school was closed the same year. Having identified the addresses of relatives of the students through alumni magazines and other materials, the Hamadas have been calling on them to apply for DNA analysis. According to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry, about 1,800 applications have been filed for DNA analysis of the remains of war dead in Okinawa Prefecture since fiscal 2003 when the analysis started. However, the remains of only seven people have been identified. Compared to the remains found in Siberia and other northern regions, those found in the prefecture are said to often be deteriorated, making identification difficult. Remains found during government-led collection efforts are stored by the government, but personal belongings are left at the site as long as they do not bear a name or any other identifying information. 'For the relatives of people whose remains have not been returned, the personal belongings of the war dead serve as precious mementos that connect them to their loved ones,' Hamada said. 'I want to return the items to the relatives as much as possible.' - The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-05-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Junior High School Badge Found in Natural Cave in Okinawa; Finder Hopes DNA Analysis Can Determine Family for Return
Yomiuri Shimbun photos Tetsuji Hamada, far right, speaks about items that are believed to have been left by people who died in World War II in Okinawa Prefecture in Naha on April 24. ITOMAN, Okinawa — Along with the remains of people who died in World War II, a badge from a junior high school was found recently in a gama, which in the Okinawa dialect means natural cave, in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. Efforts are underway to identify the remains using the badge, which is believed to have been that of Kainan junior high school, a private school that was forced to close nine years after its foundation because of the war. The remains may include those of students who were mobilized mobilized as a student soldier and died during the fierce Battle of Okinawa, according to people involved in the efforts. On April 24, journalist Tetsuji Hamada, 62, who is engaged in efforts to collect articles left by the war dead and return them to their relatives, showed the badge to relatives of war dead who were students at Kainan junior high school, in a meeting room in Naha. 'It may have been placed on the cap of a person who died in the war,' said Hamada, who then encouraged them to apply for the DNA analysis of the remains. The 4-centimeter-long badge was found on Feb. 23 by a group led by Hamada and his wife Ritsuko, 60, in a crevice of a rock at the cave in Itoman where many soldiers and others died during the war. It was determined to be from the Kainan junior high school. According to the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman, the school was founded in 1936 as the only private junior high school in the prefecture in the former village of Maji (now part of Naha). During the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, 68 students from the school were mobilized into military units and 66 lost their lives. The school was closed the same year. Having identified the addresses of the relatives of the students through the study of alumni magazines and other materials, the Hamadas have been calling on them to apply for DNA analysis. According to the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry, about 1,800 applications have been filed for DNA analysis of the remains of war dead in Okinawa Prefecture since fiscal 2003 when the analysis started, but the remains of only seven people have been identified. Compared to the remains found in Siberia and other northern regions, those found in the prefecture are said to have often been deteriorated, making identification difficult. Remains found during government-led collection efforts are stored by the government, but personal belongings are left at the site as long as they do not bear a name or any other identifying information. 'For the relatives of people whose remains have not been returned, the personal belongings of the war dead serve as precious mementos that connect them to their loved ones,' Hamada said. 'I want to return the items to the relatives as much as possible.'
