Update history
Special request for the return of personal belongings left by the Japanese soldiers
In November, 1943, the fierce hell battle fight was held at Tarawa atoll during the Pacific Ocean War. In the midst of this fight, Almost all of Japanese soldiers of about 4,700 stationed at Tarawa island as well as about 1,000 U.S soldiers lost precious life over there.
Japanese survivor of the war in Tarawa was just 17 persons only and most of the bereaved family of war still remained unknown even of the situation on how their loved father or husband died. They just received , from Japanese government, only one sheet of paper reporting the official death notice, a couple of months later.
As of today, even about 70 years after, the ash of the Japanese soldiers died at Tarawa was not returned back homeland, and sleeping over there. A lot of their own belongings left over still remains there as well.
It is said that some of these belongings left was carried back by U.S. soldiers who participated in this Tarawa battle fight to the U.S.A.
If there is anyone who posess these belongings left in U.S.A., I do beg for kind return to bereaved family of war somehow. Japanese bereaved family of war of twenties or thirties at that time is now getting older as time passes. There is only little time now for them to receive these war belongings left.
It would be highly appreciated if you could send e-mail to the Information shown on my website to this effect either in English or Japanese when anyone may have these for return back with free of charge.
I do wish I beg you to understand my own real intention from the bottom of my heart and cooperate with me in return for the belongings left over of the war dead as these are only memorial for the bereaved family of war now.
In addition, please teach a then state to me if your or your family participated in a fight in Tarawa. I think that I want to know the state about the miserable fight that happened in Tarawa. However, information about Tarawa where we are provided is limited because there were very few Japanese survivors.
Please, about the then situation, please teach more detailed information.
I thank Mr.N who translated the website that I made in Japanese into English.
Introduction
February 27, 2011
As a member of the Memorial Service Tour sponsored by Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, I went to Republic of Kiribati, which was called as Gilbert islands , and fierce hell battle was held during the Pacific Ocean War time.
My own major purpose of this tour is to visit and see with my eyes the end island of my own grandfather who was said to die during the fierce battle in Betio island , inside TARAWA atoll.
Republic of Kiribati is consisted of 33 atolls scattering 3.5 million square Km in the mid. South pacific ocean. TARAWA atoll is just one of them. Very, very far away from Japan, adjacent to the International Date Line, just above the Equator, almost located in the Middle of Pacific Ocean, that is Gilbert Islands.
Betio Island, as major battle field, is very tiny island with highest point of 3m high above sea level and only 3500 m long in East, South , and only 500 m wide maximum in North, South.
This tiny island is covered by beautiful blue sea and coconuts tree , also surrounded by atoll , however during the Pacific Ocean sea battle War time, fierce battle was held between Japan and USA, and more than 4,600 of Japanese are said to be dead to fight to the last man there.
TARAWA sea battle is very famous in USA during the World War Two, Pacific Ocean War Time, however, here in Japan, it is not so well-known. Nowadays post-war generation who does not recognize its tragedy and misery of the WAR and know the fact as only Knowledge on history textbook that so many people died is increasing a lot. As it stands now, I decided to build up my own Home Page so that I can give an opportunity to as many people as possible to know the TARAWA sea Battle as well as the official memorial service Tour system.
It is of my great pleasure if people who come to show interest in this history increase more and more, and this website can be of great help to the people who are planning to participate in the official memorial service Tour in future.
