Japanese Interned In Siberia Remembered In Ceremony In Tokyo
An annual memorial service has been held in Tokyo to remember Japanese nationals who died in Soviet detention camps in Siberia and elsewhere after World War Two.
About 150 people on Tuesday observed a moment of silence at Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, where the remains of more than 17,000 internees are interred.
An association of former internees and bereaved families organized the ceremony.
August 23 marks 77 years since the former Soviet Union ordered Japanese soldiers and civilians in China and elsewhere to be sent to labor camps in Siberia and Mongolia.
The health and welfare ministry says more than 54,000 Japanese died in the camps, but the remains of over 32,000 internees have yet to be returned to Japan.
Work to collect the remains has been stalled since 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Niizeki Shoji, who was detained in Siberia for four years, urged the Japanese government to resume the recovery efforts, and called on Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine.
He said it is wrong for people to kill people, regardless of whether they are military personnel or civilians. He also said he is sorry the return of his fellows lying in frozen soil will be further delayed due to the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.
Kobayashi Akira, whose father died from an illness during detention, said his father's remains were finally interred in May this year, but many bereaved families who are of advanced age do not yet have the remains of their loved ones back.
He added he hopes for a ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible so that negotiations for the recovery of the remains can resume.