Japanese war orphan mourns adoptive parents in NE China

(Xinhua) Updated: 2015-08-12 18:00 Comments

73-year-old Japanese Yohachi Nakajima, a "war orphan" left in China after WWII, takes a truck to find the tomb of his adoptive parents in Mudanjiang city, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Aug 10, 2015. Nakajima went to Northeast China's Heilongjiang province in 1942 with his family as members of "the Japanese settlers group" when he was only a one-year-old baby. But in 1945, when the militaristic Japan surrendered at the end of World War II, he was left in China solely. A local Chinese female peasant adopted Nakajima, a child from the former enemy. She treated the orphan who was suffering from dyspepsia. In 1958, 16-year-old Nakajima returned to Japan, and found his mother and sister. After graduation from a high school in Japan, Nakajima had a chance to have a well-paid job, but he joined a Japan-China friendship association. He wrote an autobiography Why I Have My Life, which depicts his 13-year life of being a "Japanese-Chinese" in Ning'an county of Heilongjiang. "I grew up in China, for 13 years. It's not easy for my adoptive parents to raise me up. Such love is selfless and I will never forget it. I hope more and more Japanese people could understand Chinese people's enthusiasm and kindness through my book," said Nakajima in an interview. About 3,000 Japanese children were left in China after WWII. [Photo/Xinhua]

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