A monthly newsletter

Issue No. 2 September 2014

月 刊 ニ ュースレター

第 2号

2 0 1 4年 9 月

OBON 2015
Returning personal items to their families.
個人の遺留品をご遺族の元へ

ここE V E R Y O N E H A S A F A M I LY
誰でも一人一人に家族がいます

OBON 2015 Moving Forward
August was a busy month for OBON 2015. We struggled
to keep up with the contacts we received.
OBON 2015 expects this demand to grow over the upcoming months.
This monthly newsletter will keep you informed about
current situations and give you some background toOBON 2015’s efforts. Please forward it to whomever you
think might be interested.

Table of Contents
Page 2: Embassy Letter
Page 3: PT 109
Page 4: Portrait of a Classmate
going to War
Page 5: The Scholar’s Corner
Page 6: OBON 2015 FAQPage 7: Contact OBON 2015

OBON 2015 September 2014 NEWSLETTER"1

THE OBON 2 015 STORY
The American Embassy in Japan
Earlier this year OBON 2015 received a letter from the American Embassy in Japan admiring our efforts
to return personal items taken as battlefield souvenirs.
Their letter spoke glowingly about OBON 2015’s reconciliation between families, but then included onesentence that referred to the famous story of President Kennedy and PT 109.

January 10, 2014; Letter from American Embassy in Japan to OBON 2015

Above: PT boats running at high speed.
Right: John F. Kennedy as a Navy officer;c. 1942 or 1943.
The reference to President Kennedy’sinauguration was surprising. Unaware ofwhat was being discussed, OBON 2015
researched the story.

"2OBON 2015 September 2014 NEWSLETTER

PT 109“In real and tangible ways, OBON 2015 continues
President Kennedy’s spirit of reconciliation and friendship.”
The Solomon Islands became a strategic battlefield during the war in the Pacific. Japanese ships
delivered supplies in the night; American torpedo boats tried to intercept and destroy them.
On August 2nd, 1943, in the middle of the night, the destroyer Amagiri, captained by Lt. Commander
Kohei Hanami, collided with a small torpedo boat. This collisions sliced the American boat in half,
killed several crewmen and threw the others into the water, miles from the nearest land.
Undeterred by this disaster the American commander led the survivors on a long swim to the nearestisland, towing behind him an injured man. From there this commander attracted the attention ofsearch boats who found and rescued the survivors.
Seventeen years later that same American commander was elected president of the United States. In
an extraordinary display of respect between fellow servicemen and reconciliation between nations,John F. Kennedy invited Kohei Hanami to his January 20th 1961 Presidential inauguration in
Washington D.C.

Japanese destroyer “Amagiri”

Lt. Kohei Hanami

OBON 2015 September 2014 NEWSLETTER

Crew of PT 109;
Lt. Kennedy standing right.
President John F. Kennedy"3

PO RT RA IT OF A Y O UN G M AN G OI NG TO WAR

OBON 2015 receives a wide range of Yosegaki
Hinomaru that sometimes include unexpected
names. We expect to see names of family andneighbors, but sometimes the Yosegaki
Hinomaru contain scribblings that look liketeenage shenanigans and fun.

These Yosegaki Hinomaru are most likely
the result of teenage students being called
up to duty. Many college and high school
students had to leave their studies to serve
their county.

For example, on February 26th, of 1945, in preparation for the anticipated invasion of their
homeland, the Japanese government called up 1.5 million able-bodied men between the ages of
15 to 60 years of age. No doubt at this time many students left the classroom and put on amilitary uniform.

College friends make a portrait with a classmate holding a Yosegaki Hinomaru across his lap.

"4OBON 2015 September 2014 NEWSLETTERThe Scholar ’s Corner
This Yosegaki Hinomaru contains scribbling and messy
writing that resembles the inside of a school yearbook.

Close examination by OBON 2015 scholars reveals
that it was largely the work of teenagers.

Clearly the writing of “BaldHeaded Tanaka” was done by aclose friend who intentionallywanted to tease and offend hisclassmate. This phrase might
possibly have been making funof his short haircut that wasrequired when anyone wasconscripted into the military.

“Onno Man” sounds like nonsense, however OBON 2015
scholars realized it might be aclue. Deeper research revealeda school in Fukuoka called“Onga NoGakkou” whichhappened to be the school thisyoung man attended.

“Mr. HoneyBee” was possibly
a clue. OBON 2015 scholars
discovered Fukuoka was
known for honey production
and beekeeping and it would
have been a logical area ofstudy. Or it might be a joke
about the family’s business.

Bald Headed Tanaka( ハゲノ田中 ）“Onno Man”
( 遠農健児 ）Mr. HoneyBee（ 蜂蜜君 ）Clearly these references, as well as many others, are
the work of teenagers. Typical Yosegaki Hinomaru
given by family, colleagues at work or other adults
do not contain such play.
OBON 2015 September 2014 NEWSLETTER

In addition, the general messy and casual appearanceof this Yosegaki Hinomaru resembles teenage graffiti,
which is another indication of who created it.

"5OBON 2015 F A Q
OBON 2015 FAQ
What is the biggest challenge OBON 2015 faces?
Clearly our biggest challenge is communication with the people who are in possession of theseflags and telling them about our efforts to return these “battlefield souvenirs” to their families inJapan.
What is the second biggest challenge?
Contacting the family in Japan. Many Americans do not realize that other parts of the world do
not permit strangers to call or contact a private citizen and Japan is one of the most strict.
How strict is Japan?
Well, for example, there are no phone books in Japan. Even if you know someone’s nameand the city where they live you cannot call or contact them. If you go to the police department,
they will turn you away. If you go the Post Office or Registration office you will get the same
response. They will all tell you they cannot give away anyone’s address or phone number.
When did this begin?
Japan’s Privacy Act ( 個人情報保護法 ) was signed into law in 2003.
How can OBON 2015 find families?
OBON 2015 has a close working relationship and the full support of the “Izokukai” ( 遺族会 )which is basically the equivalent of a Japanese Veteran’s Association. They have extensive
records of everyone serving in the military and their closest relatives. Also, they can inquire
about government records that private citizens cannot access.
In addition to this, OBON 2015 works closely with a sect of priests who are dedicated to thefallen soldiers and their families. They too have extensive records on every Japanese soldier
who died in the war.
OBON 2015 has gained their trust and support of these official Japanese agencies and thisgives us the ability to find the families of soldiers.

"
6OBON 2015 September 2014 NEWSLETTERContact OBON 2015
If you have a flag, or know someone who does, please contact OBON 2015. We will
gladly answer any questions and fully explain our process. It will give us great
pleasure to research the flag in your possession and return it to its proper family.

OBON 2015
P.O. Box 282
Astoria, Oregon 97103
contact@OBON2015.com"
7OBON 2015 September 2014 NEWSLETTER