Son of Soldier Killed on Iwo Jima Continues Collecting Remains

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)--While 80 years have passed since the end of organized fighting on Ioto, widely known as Iwo Jima, during World War II, the son of a Japanese soldier killed in the battle is continuing efforts to collect the remains of the war dead on the Pacific island.

Yoshiharu Kanai, 80, has been working to collect remains for over 20 years, wishing to return them to mainland Japan swiftly.

Japan and the United States engaged in heavy fighting known as the Battle of Iwo Jima between February and March 1945, resulting in some 21,900 Japanese and about 6,800 American deaths. The remains of over 10,000 Japanese have yet to be handed over to their families.

Kanai expressed hope over the planned visit by Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to the remote Tokyo island on April 7 to pay respect to the war dead. "I think it will be good," Kanai said of the Imperial visit, which comes amid concerns that the memories of the war may be lost in time.

Kanai's father, Masato, was a lieutenant who led a company of the former Japanese army in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Born in March 1914, Masato worked as a school teacher in the city of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, prior to joining the military.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]