warorphans

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Japanese war orphans march calling for state relief system

On June 20, about 700 former Japanese war orphans left in China, who have filed lawsuits, marched in demonstration in Tokyo, demanding a state compensation system ensuring that they can live out their old age in dignity.

They shouted, "The Japanese government must apologize to former war orphans for its misgovernment! Withdraw certificates of our death issued after the war!"

About 2,400 former war orphans returned from China and 2,025 of them have filed lawsuits with 15 district courts against the state, calling for an official apology and compensation.

Most of them are now in their 60s or older. They had been protected while in 'stray' and grew up as Chinese residents. Unable to speak Japanese fluently, they have difficulties in finding jobs in Japan, except for hard labor jobs at low wages. Most of them are not qualified to receive national pension benefits and about 70 percent of them now live on welfare.

Jiao Zhanghong, 65, who was orphaned at 5 and was a college teacher in China, returned to Japan in 1993. He says, "Am I to blame for being a non-Japanese speaker and out of work in Japan?"

Koike Akira, Japanese Communist Party House of Councilors member, took part in a rally held after the demonstration march. He criticized the Japanese government for disclaiming its responsibility for abandoning the Japanese war orphans in wartime, in the postwar period, and even now. He stated, "The JCP will urge the government to immediately accept responsibility and take effective measures to relieve former war orphans." -- Akahata, June 21, 2005