Chinese Victims of Hanaoka Incident in Japan Mourned 80 Years On

   Odate, Akita Pref., June 30 (Jiji Press)--A memorial service was held Monday for Chinese forced laborers who died in an uprising at the Hanaoka mine in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Akita 80 years ago during the late stage of World War II.
   Some 200 people joined the annual service, held at a cemetery in the city of Odate and hosted by the municipal government.
   Among the attendees were bereaved relatives, representatives of the Red Cross Society of China, Odate Mayor Kensuke Ishida and officials of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. A list of the names of some 420 victims was dedicated at a cenotaph, and the participants observed a moment of silence and offered flowers.
   "The misery of history must not be repeated, and the precious peace must be valued," Zhang Enlong, a 49-year-old representative of the relatives said.
   Yang Jing, 66, a grandchild of a victim, who attended the annual ceremony for the third time, noted that the number of people in China who know about the incident is falling. "We have a duty to tell future generations about the incident," Yang said, adding, "I want to pass it on to young people in China and Japan in order to prevent such tragic incidents."

(2025/06/30-19:03)

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