A m o n t h l y n e w s l e tOt e r

BON

201月 刊 ニ ュースレター

5IssueNo. 3 October 2014
第 ３号

２０１ ４ 年 １０ 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

Our Final Year
The most heart-warming part of this work is hearing
how many Americans feel the desire to return
personal items back to the Japanese. Practicallyeveryday someone contacts OBON 2015 who has aYosegaki Hinomaru they want returned back to Japan.
What’s most interesting is how many Americanveterans - some even residing in nursing homes - feelthe need to return the items they took as souvenirs
from the battlefield.

OBON 2015 October 2014 NEWSLETTER

Table of Contents
Page 2: Admiral Caldwell
Page 3: A New Video
Page 4: A Father’s Flag
Page 5: A Father’s Flag
Page 6: The Scholar’s Corner
Page 7: Contact OBON 2015

"1

An Admiral returns a Yosegaki Hinomaru“This flag didn’t rightfully belong to me, it belonged to the town or the family”
Rear Admiral James F. Caldwellinherited a Yosegaki Hinomaru from hisgreat uncle Jay Chase, a naval officer
during WWII.

Aware of the importance these personal items
have to the Japanese family, Admiral Caldwell
passed this flag into the care of the Japanese
Consul General in Hawaii so it could be
returned to Japan.

Admiral Caldwell said, “This flag
didn’t belong to me, it belongs to thetown or the family. It’s meaningful toJapan, it’s meaningful to the town,
and it’s meaningful to the family of
the soldier to who it belonged.”
Admiral Caldwell did not know how
it great uncle obtained the flag butsaid, “My great-uncle was a goodman, and although World War II washard on him, I know he would want
the family to have the flag.
Consul General Shigeeda was deeply moved by Admiral Caldwell’s generous gesture and remarked
that it was an important act towards reaffirming the relationship between the two countries who wereonce enemies but are now close and trusted allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

"2OBON 2015 October 2014 NEWSLETTERO BO N 2 01 5 N E W V ID E O
OBON 2015 is pleased to announce a new video available for viewing on YouTube.

The video begins with a look at the close relation between the people of Japan and America.....

...then acknowledges the brutal and destructive war that broke out between these the two nations.

However, despite nearly seventy years having passed both nations continue toexpend a great deal of time and energy searching for the remains of soldiers who aremissing in action. To the family of a missing soldier any personal remains becomes ameaningful heirloom that they feel contains the spirit of the missing family member.

To Watch go to YouTube and search OBON 2015 “Do Unto Others”....or click on thehot link in the email....or type www.youtube.com/watch?v=07oABxxseVA
OBON 2015 October 2014 NEWSLETTER"3

“T HE FI RS T T IM E I H AV E F E LT MY FAT H E R .. .”A Yosegaki Hinomaru is returned to a soldier’s son.
(Below) Tomio Aikawa was drafted
into the navy, leaving behind two
young children and his pregnant
wife, seen below on the right. As wasthe custom of the times his Yosegaki
Hinomaru is tied across his chest.

(Below) January 3rd, 1944 the family met at a navalyard for a quick family reunion. A family portrait
was taken showing Tomio holding his one month oldbaby son Hiroshi for the first time. (the infant, barelyvisible in his father’s arms, is wearing a white cap.)

Tomio shipped out later that year and disappeared in the war off Saipan on July 8th.
Decades later a Japanese dance instructor residing in the United States was given this flag by afriend. Knowing this was a personal family item she contacted OBON 2015 and the search began.

"4OBON 2015 October 2014 NEWSLETTEROBON2015“TH E FIR S T TI M E I H AV E F E LT MY FATH ER. .. ”

OBON 2015 researchers deciphered the writing and found
the family. The flag was sent to a local shrine and finally,
after 69 years, it was reunited with the family.
The one month old baby who had been photographed in his father’s arms 69 years earlier, now had an
object that had been carried next to his father’s body and had been with him when he died. This son,
Mr. Hiroshi Aikawa, later wrote OBON 2015 a letter of gratitude.
It is anoverwhelming
joy to receive

these remains

after so many

this will be thebest present for
my upcoming

70th birthday
this month.

years havepassed.

In my entire

memory, thisis the ﬁrst

time I haveever felt myfather next tome.

OBON 2015 October 2014 NEWSLETTER

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BON

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The Scholar ’s Corner
Finding a family sometimes involves
pursuing the smallest of details. Our
researchers take every clue into
consideration. However, this particularhinomaru contained an address and themention of a railroad which at first
seemed like promising clues, but led
our scholars on a wild-goose chase formany months.

The address was pinpointed in
the city of Osaka;
5-20 Minami Horie-Dori.
However, upon examining citymaps (made in the years beforethe war) the address led to aresidential area bordering a
shipyard. Volunteers walked
the streets searching; scholars
dug through archives, butnothing conclusive could befound.
The second clue named the TAMURA
LOCOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
This led to an exhaustive search through Japaneserailroad museums, transportation archives andheavy industry looking for that company’s location.
However, after months of searching there was nomention of such a company ever existing. Ourscholars were baffled.

After nearly 18 months of searching the family was found. Upon questioning the 92 year old brother ofthe missing soldier OBON 2015 discovered the railroad mentioned was, in fact, the name of a obscure
toy manufacturer that sold model trains. The reason the address appeared on the flag remains a mystery,
but it is assumed the location had something to do with the toys.
"6OBON 2015 October 2014 NEWSLETTERContact OBON 2015If 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

Rex & Keiko Ziak OBON 2015"
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OBON 2015 October 2014 NEWSLETTER