A Japanese woman and her American husband are returning long-lost relics of Japanese soldiers who died during WWII to the families they left behind. And it's helping heal the emotional scars of the war, in both Japan and the US.
Family and friends wrote their names and messages on flags when men were drafted.
"Returning relics to heal scars of war"
They say time heals all wounds, but sometimes the healing can take decades. Seventy-five years after the end of World War Two, some people are still working to was the pain of those who lost loved ones by returning artifacts taken by the victors. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1298/
Returning Relics to Heal Wounds of War: NHK WORLD- JAPAN News
World War II may have ended 75 years ago but many of the emotional wounds remain. NHK World's Yotsumoto Jun reports on a project that aims to heal old wounds by returning relics of the war from across the Pacific. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20200903030926543/
Good Luck Flag (Yosegaki Hinomaru) submitted by Greg Murphy was traced back to a fallen Japanese soldier who carried it into battle in 1944. A nephew of the soldier received the flag safely.
米国コロラド州在住米国人ティムさんが返還を希望された日章旗と軍刀は、2019年7月に日章旗のご遺族が判明して返還ができた後、約1年余り色々な手続きを踏まえた末、ようやく軍刀が地元に返還され、2020年8月、福井県大野市歴史博物館で敬意をもって保管してもらえることになりました。
Tim Mann requested OBON SOCIETY to return his father's Good Luck Flag and Japanese sword. We were able to return both Flag and sword to Fukui prefecture, in Japan. Below is Japanese related media link.
下記リンク先は、軍刀返還関連の報道記事(2020年8月13日付中日新聞)です。 https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/104158?
下記リンク先は、昨年7月31日、石田五十三命の日章旗がご遺族(石田治様・長男)へ返還された時の報道記事(2019年8月15日付福井新聞)です。 https://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/articles/-/914651