At 10 o'clock on May 24th, 91-year-old former Japanese soldier Honda Tatsutaro, who fought in the war against China, concluded his eight-day-long apology in China for killing Chinese prisoners of war and left for Japan from Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. He came to Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu province, in May 2003 and January 2005 to express his sincere regret for wartime atrocities.
"I came to China on my own this time, but I followed the Ship of Peace and Friendship, an organization dedicated to global peace in Japan, on the previous two visits. My current trip for apology to China stands for no organization, just for myself, a Japanese veteran who joined the war against China," said Tatsutaro when talking about the differences of his several trips to China for his wartime atrocities.
Do you subscribe to Political Affairs?
click image to find out how
The Church at the Crossroads
"I was very calm at that moment, because I was doing what I should do. During Japan's war of aggression against China, I committed crimes against the Chinese. For the past 60 years I have been suffering from a strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt. Kneeling down, in that sense, is the best way to express my feeling. Nobody asked me to do so, and I did this voluntarily," added Tatsutaro while referring to his act of kneeling down on the Marco Polo Bridge in southwest Beijing.
He noted that he will tell what he has seen, heard and experienced to all Japanese citizens. In his words, "I will tell the citizens of Japan how hospitable and honest the Chinese are and how broad their minds are. When I told them the fact that I have killed Chinese prisoners of war, they graciously accepted my apology.¡±
Tatsutaro himself publishes a hand-written semimonthly newspaper which mainly prints news and editorials. The current circulation of his newspaper is around 300 per month. "I recount all of my personal experiences in China to be told in my newspaper," said Tatsutaro.
The current trip is his first time to visit Beijing, Shanghai and Jintai county in east China's Jiangsu province. 60 years has passed since the earth-shaking changes took place in China. "I am 91 years old this year and I will come to China again at the earliest possible time. I want to take a walk alone, quiet and tranquil, along the rivers, in the villages and on the bridges that I saw 60 years ago in Beijing, Shanghai and Jintai county," Tatsutaro further added.
Finally, Tatsutaro made it clear that he hopes the youth from both Japan and China could put themselves in the other party's shoes, which will be conducive to the development of friendly Japan-China relations. He personally believes that long-term Japan-China friendship lies in the mutual understanding and mutual trust of the youth in the two countries.
