OBON Society Blog

A New York man spent seven years working with a nonprofit to find the family of a Japanese soldier

 

TOKYO — A Japanese flag, brought to America by a U.S. soldier who served in the Philippines during World War II, has returned home.

 

The signature-covered flag was taken as a war trophy by the late Bernard Stein, who fought in the Philippines as a member of the U.S. Army’s 38th Infantry Division, known as the Avengers of Bataan. The division landed on the main island of Luzon in January 1945 and helped liberate the Bataan Peninsula and secure Manila Bay.

 

Almost eight decades later, the veteran’s grandson, Scott Stein, an artists’ agent in New York City, sent the banner back to Japan so it could be given to relatives of the fallen Japanese soldier who carried it into battle.

 

It was presented to the family on Sunday during a ceremony in a town in southwestern Honshu, the largest of Japan’s four main islands. The late Bernard Stein, center, fought in the Philippines during World War II as a member of the 38th Infantry Division. (Scott Stein)

 

Many Japanese soldiers carried their country’s flags inscribed with names and messages from family and friends for good luck. Stein inherited the flag from his grandfather, who became a building inspector in Nassau County, N.Y., after the war and died two decades ago, he told Stars and Stripes during an Aug. 8 video call from New York.

 

As a youngster, he was fascinated by the banner and a Japanese sword at his grandfather’s home, but he didn’t know how they got there. “He never talked about his wartime experiences,” Stein said. “He must have seen some intense stuff in the war, but there were no mental health things when he returned. He just kept it bottled up.” Stein had no plans to hand the flag down to his own son. It was time for it to return home, “especially for the family that might not have any remnant of their lost loved one,” he said.

 

The search for the flag’s original owner began in 2017, when Stein sought help restoring the item. A friend Stein asked about fabric restoration told him about the Obon Society.

 

The nonprofit group helps veterans and their families return old war trophies like flags and swords. Japanese researchers helped the society trace some of the 50 signatures on the flag to Tottori prefecture, Keiko Ziak, founder of the Obon Society, said during the video call. It turned out that the soldier who carried the flag into battle, Yukikazu Hiyama, was born in Nichinan town on Feb. 15, 1922. He served as a corporal with the 1st Independent Tank Brigade and died in China on Aug. 17, 1945.

 

It was the first lost WWII flag returned to Tottori prefecture, Ziak said. It wasn’t only the fallen Japanese soldier’s family who was excited about the flag’s return, she said. This flag, brought to America by a U.S.soldier who served in the Philippines during the World War II, has been returned to the original owner's family members in Japan. (Scott Stein)

 

“The flag includes the names of many members of the community and people recognize their grandfathers’ or fathers’ names on it,” she said. The flag was given back to the fallen soldier’s son, Tsukasa Hiyama, 81. “I appreciate that Mr. Stein, who had the flag, returned it,” he said by phone Monday. “I want to thank him for it.” Hiyama also thanked the Obon Society and the Japan War-Bereaved Families Association, which helped find him.

 

The only son of the fallen soldier was born July 5, 1943, the same day his father left home for the Imperial Army and the war, Hiyama said. “Honestly, I don’t know anything about him,” he said of his father, adding that his parents had been married only a year when he was born. The Obon Society called in April to say that the flag would be returned, Hiyama said. “I was surprised,” he said, adding he didn’t think something that belonged to his father would be returned after all these years.

 

Hiyama said he hopes to display the flag so relatives of the people who signed it also see it. It is the only memento he has of his father. “I want to take time to take a close look at it,” he said.

 

ー旧陸軍兵の日章旗“帰郷”　日南出身の故火山行一さん　８１年ぶり、遺族に返還　息子の司さん「おやじの姿」喜ぶー

　米国で元米兵（個人）が所持していた日南町出身の旧陸軍伍長・故火山行一（ひやまゆきかず）さん（享年２３歳）の寄せ書き入り日章旗が見つかり、遺族への返還式が２５日、同町霞の町役場で行われた。一人息子の司さん（８１）＝米子市上後藤４丁目＝は、遺影でしか知らない亡父の唯一の形見をしっかりと受け取り「一つの区切り。胸のつかえが取れた」と、８１年ぶりの“帰郷”を喜んだ。

　行一さんは１９４３年に出征。独立戦車第１旅団砲兵隊に所属し、４５年８月１７日に中国大陸の奉天（現・瀋陽市）で亡くなった。長年生還を願っていた母・あさえさんは２０００年に８０歳で亡くなった。

　連合国軍兵士が戦地から持ち帰った日本兵の遺留品の返還活動に尽力する非営利団体「ＯＢＯＮ（オボン）ソサエティ」（米国オレゴン州）によると、元米陸軍兵ベルナルド・ステイン氏の他界後、日章旗を譲り受けた孫が２０１７年に遺族の捜索と返還を依頼。日本の遺族会ら関係機関の協力を得て、２４年春に遺族が判明した。

　返還式では、同ソサエティ捜索担当の工藤公督氏が判明に至った経緯を説明し、同町の中村英明町長らの手を経て司さんへ日章旗が手渡された。

　丁寧に折りたたまれた日章旗を広げた司さんは「早く母の墓前に報告したい。日章旗を通じて、長年知ることのなかったおやじの姿やにおいを実感できれば」と話した。

　参列した町遺族会の野口忠実会長（８６）は「火山家の宝であるともに日南町の宝。できれば多くの方にご覧いただき、平和とは何かということを実感してもらう機会となれば」と期待を寄せた。

広島護国神社発行の冊子【ひろしま護国】の令和５年１２月号に令和４年１２月４日、同護国神社で執り行われました「明鎮憲登命日章旗返還式」について一面記事が掲載されました。冊子の中から表紙の「藤本武則 宮司」のご挨拶、Ｐ３の日章旗返還式当該記事、ｐ１２から崇敬奉賛会の入会案内(抜粋)して転載させて頂きます。

全国の護国神社では戦没者遺族ではなくとも崇敬奉賛者として崇敬会員を募っております。

こちらは返還式当時のＯＢＯＮスタッフによる手記です。
共にご一読くだされば幸いです。

 

 

People around the world are providing relief and closure to the families of fallen WWII soldiers by returning to them battlefield keepsakes of their loved ones.

 

Patriots Point to return war-torn WWII flags to Japanese families

Flags belonging to Japanese soldiers from World War II may soon be reunited with the families of the servicemembers.

Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum recently sent three of these so-called Good Luck Flags to a non-profit that specializes in these reunifications.

“In the Japanese culture, they believe that the spirit is imbued in these flags; these are the actual soldier,” Director of Collections Meredith Kablick said. “Since many of them never made it home, the flag is all that's left of them.”

Many American soldiers took the Japanese flags home with them as war trophies, Kablick said.

Patriots Point to return war-torn WWII flags to Japanese families (WCIV)
The three silk flags contained Japanese characters on them and were likely signed by friends and family.

Patriots Point recently learned of the idea from a military museum in Texas, which gave a flag to the OBON SOCIETY, who has successfully returned more than 500 items to Japanese families, according to their website.

“It feels like it's a part of a good faith effort on us to return these and try to make peace for these families that never got their loved ones back,” Kablick said.

 

「今があるのは兄のおかげ」太平洋戦争で戦死した元兵士の遺品、親族に返還

 

太平洋戦争で従軍した県出身の元兵士岸田長次郎さん（享年２８）の遺品が６日、戦後７８年を経て親族に返還された。大津市内で行われた返還式の後、弟の岸田五典（いつすけ）さん（７９）＝彦根市楡町＝は「今があるのは兄のおかげと思う。大事にしていきたい」と語った。

　遺留品を遺族に返す活動をする米国オレゴン州の非営利団体「ＯＢＯＮ　ＳＯＣＩＥＴＹ（オボン　ソサエティー）」から厚生労働省に遺留品の情報提供があり、遺族会の調査で遺族が特定された。

　犬上郡亀山村（現彦根市）出身の長次郎さんは陸軍軍曹で、独立歩兵第１６６大隊に所属していたが、１９４５年７月５日にフィリピンのミンダナオ島で戦死したとされる。返還された遺品は、長次郎さんの名前が記されたたすきと、布に糸を結んで出征兵士の無事を祈る千人針の２点。

　県遺族会によると、同団体を通じて戦争遺留品が県内の遺族に返還されるのは今回で２０例目。

 

たすきや千人針を遺族の手に　彦根で戦争遺留品返還式

戦争で亡くなった人の持ち物を遺族に届ける「戦争遺留品返還式」が6日、大津市内のホテルで開かれた。彦根市の岸田五典（いつすけ）さん（79）に、戦死した兄の長次郎さんのたすきと千人針が返還された。

　たすきは日章旗をたたんで縫い合わせて作られており、「岸田長次郎君」「亀山村」と書かれていた。亀山村は現在の彦根市にあたる。千人針は武運長久を祈って布に糸を縫い付けたもので、出征する兵士のお守りとされた。

　長次郎さんは陸軍軍曹で太平洋戦争末期の1945年7月5日、フィリピン・コタバト州マリダガオで戦死したという。当時28歳で、遺骨などは戻らなかった。長次郎さんと五典さんは親族関係ではあるものの、ともに岸田家に養子縁組された戸籍上の兄弟で、直接会ったことはないという。

　日本兵の遺品を遺族に返還する活動を続ける米オレゴン州の非営利団体「OBONソサエティ」から厚生労働省や日本遺族会を通じて滋賀県遺族会に遺族の捜索依頼があり、昨秋に岸田さんが遺族だと判明した。

　三日月大造知事から遺留品を受け取った岸田さんは「国のために戦ってくれた人たちがいたからこそ、今の私たちがいる。仏壇に供えて供養し、永久的に保存していきたい」と感謝した。

広島護国神社発行の冊子【ひろしま護国】の令和５年１２月号に令和４年１２月４日、同護国神社で執り行われました「明鎮憲登命日章旗返還式」について一面記事が掲載されました。

 

冊子の中から表紙の「藤本武則 宮司」のご挨拶、Ｐ３の日章旗返還式当該記事、ｐ１２から崇敬奉賛会の入会案内(抜粋)して転載させて頂きます。

全国の護国神社では戦没者遺族ではなくとも崇敬奉賛者として崇敬会員を募っております。

こちらは返還式当時のＯＢＯＮスタッフによる手記です。
共にご一読くだされば幸いです。