Japan to invite survivors of Bataan Death March

Yomiuri Shimbun (japan)

TOKYO — The Japanese government has decided to invite to Japan next year former U.S. prisoners of war who survived the Bataan Death March, it has been learned. It will be the first time the government has officially invited U.S. POWs to Japan.

Many former U.S. POWs still harbor anti-Japanese feelings, and the government is hoping by the plan to promote understanding of this country among them, sources said.

The Bataan Death March took place on the Bataan Peninsula of Luzon Island in the Philippines. In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army forced approximately 70,000 U.S. and Philippine POWs to march about 60 miles in scorching heat.

According to one estimate, about 20,000 prisoners died as a result of the march.

The Bataan Death March is considered to be representative of Japan’s war crimes during World War II. Lt. Gen. Masaharu Honma, commander of the 14th Area Army, was convicted by a military court in Manila after the war and executed.

The American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor veterans association disbanded this year because of the advancing age of its members. Japan’s ambassador to the U.S., Ichiro Fujisaki attended its disbandment ceremony in San Antonio, Texas, in May as a representative of Japan.

“We extend a heartfelt apology for our country having caused tremendous damage and suffering to many people,” Fujisaki said, “including prisoners of war, those who have undergone tragic experiences in the Bataan Peninsula, in Corregidor Island in the Philippines and other places.” It was the first time the Japanese government had made a direct apology to former U.S. captives.

The plan to invite former U.S. POWs got under way after Fujisaki’s apology. The Japanese government plans to implement it next year, inviting former POWs — notably survivors of the march and their descendants. Several hundred people are expected to be invited to Japan.

Invitees will be asked to participate in memorial ceremonies and exchange events with Japanese young people. The government is also planning homestays for participants in typical Japanese households.