Invitation of Former US Prisoners of War to Japan

October 11, 2012
Japanese

From October 13 to 21, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will invite a total of 14 people, consisting of seven former US prisoners of war and their spouses, among others, to Japan.
During their stay in Japan, they are scheduled to pay courtesy calls on Mr. Koichiro Gemba, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Tsuyoshi Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, while in Tokyo. They are also scheduled to visit local areas such as Kyoto, and other places they are interested in seeing.
The former US prisoners of war and their spouses hold particular sentiments toward Japan due to their experiences during World War II. By inviting them to Japan, Japan hopes to achieve a psychological reconciliation with them and enhance mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

(* The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original in Japanese.)

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