Japan held a series of memorial services over the weekend to mark landmark anniversaries of three World War II tragedies, highlighting unresolved questions over casualty numbers and the return of remains. In Naha, Okinawa, survivors and bereaved families gathered on 22 August for the 81st anniversary of the sinking of the evacuation ship Tsushima Maru, torpedoed by a U.S. submarine while carrying schoolchildren to Nagasaki. The attack killed more than 1,400 people, including hundreds of pupils, and only 59 students survived. Mourners offered prayers and called for the lessons of the disaster to be passed to younger generations. The following day, about 180 former detainees and relatives assembled at Tokyo’s Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery to observe the 80th anniversary of the Soviet order that led to the mass internment of Japanese soldiers and civilians in Siberia and Mongolia. The health ministry puts the death toll at roughly 55,000, but participants said the full scale of the tragedy remains unclear; just over 20,000 sets of remains have been repatriated, and the war in Ukraine has halted further recovery work. On 24 August, roughly 330 people gathered at a seaside monument overlooking Maizuru Bay, Kyoto Prefecture, for the 80th anniversary of the Ukishima Maru explosion. The transport ship, carrying thousands of Korean laborers and Japanese crew, sank shortly after Japan’s surrender in 1945. Official records list 3,990 people on board and 549 deaths, though researchers and relatives say the actual figures may be higher. Speakers urged Tokyo to accelerate investigations and return the 280 unrepatriated remains. The clustered commemorations underscore Japan’s continuing struggle to document wartime losses and address the demands of aging survivors before their voices fade.
Taiwan has warned its unrivalled computer chip industry would be used to 'rule the world' if China invaded. Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister has suggested China might copy Nazi Germany's approach prior to the 2nd World War. #computerchips #china #taiwan #military #worldnews https://t.co/DnWsN0zpPR
Nippon Izokukai (Japan War-Bereaved Families Association) has chosen Myanmar as the destination for its final memorial tour to commemorate Japanese nationals who died in service during World War II. https://t.co/jQLawe1E4R
"This victory was won with flesh and blood..." A centenarian veteran still remembers the price of peace. Tears filled his eyes when he received a medal commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. #GLOBALink https://t.co/qm79rh6svn