Friendship with Mongolia Allows Emperor to Honor the War Dead

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Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are visiting Mongolia as state guests from July 6 to 13. Their schedule includes a traditional welcoming ceremony and a dinner hosted by President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and his wife. On July 8, they plan to lay flowers at the memorial for Japanese detainees who died in Soviet Union prison camps inside Mongolia after World War II.

This summer marks the 80th anniversary of the end of that war. Therefore, it is highly significant that the Emperor will commemorate the suffering of the prisoners of war and other detainees in Mongolia and console the souls of Japanese who died there. Also, the Japanese people must not forget the brutal history of the former Soviet Union and its satellites. All Japanese citizens should offer their sincere condolences to those who lost their lives.

President Khurelsukh invited Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to Mongolia for an official state visit. Both sides aim to promote friendly relations.

Honoring Japanese Who Died There

At a press conference preceding his departure on the visit, His Majesty vowed to strengthen friendship between Japan and Mongolia.

The Emperor also considers it important to hold a memorial service at the site where former Japanese detainees are interred. "We want to honor and remember the hardships endured by those Japanese who, through no desire of their own, lost their lives far away from their homeland," he commented.

The Soviet Union invaded Manchuria, South Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and other territories under Japanese administration as the Pacific War ended. Their actions were in direct violation of the Japan-Soviet Neutrality Pact.

Moreover, after the war, the Soviet authorities illegally rounded up about 575,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians and held them in internment camps. The Soviets held some in Siberia and other parts of the Soviet Union, while up to 14,000 others were detained in Mongolia. In these locations, it forced Japanese detainees to perform hard labor under atrocious conditions. Around 55,000 Japanese detainees perished as a result.

Mongolia's climate is extremely cold, with temperatures dropping to as low as -30 degrees Celsius in winter. Despite the weather, Japanese interned there labored on construction projects and other demanding tasks. In the end, around 2,000 died.

*Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress arrive at Genghis Khan Airport in Mongolia on July 6. (Pool photograph)*

Enduring Japanese Legacy

The National Opera and Ballet Theatre and other public projects in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, were built by Japanese detainees. Still in use today, they have become the foundation for the friendly relations that now exist between the two countries.

Indeed, Emperor Naruhito visited Mongolia in 2007, when he was still Crown Prince. At that time, too, he visited the memorial to detainees and offered heartfelt prayers for the repose of their souls.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government has been unable to conduct sufficient memorial services for those who died in Russian territories such as Siberia. We would like to reiterate that commemorating the war dead is a responsibility of the state.

During their visit, the Emperor and Empress will view Mongolia's largest festival, Naadam, with President Khurelsukh and his wife. Naadam celebrates the country's nomadic traditions. There are also other cultural events planned.

Japan and Mongolia established diplomatic relations in 1972, and their bilateral relationship has steadily deepened ever since. Although wedged between Russia and China, Mongolia is known as one of the most pro-Japanese countries in Asia. Undoubtedly, the visit of the Emperor and Empress will further strengthen ties between the two countries, and we sincerely thank the Imperial Couple for their efforts.

Follow the Imperia visit and other activities of the Imperial Family in An Imperial Week in Photos.