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IMPRESSION OF OUR VISIT TO JAPAN
OCTOBER 2014
by
Sgt. Roy Welland 5337618 & Ruth Smith
.....We
have known Akiko for several years, first meeting her at the Kohima Reunions
in York. Then she had asked if Roy would forgive her father for fighting
against him. Roy said then that if he could meet her father that he would
talk to him.
.....So when Akiko asked if we would like
to visit Japan in October 2014, with some of the members of the Burma Campaign
Society, and to meet her father, Roy was quite interested. When we decided
to go, we had no preconceived ideas of what to expect. Roy was at the battle
of Kohima, facing her father on the Japanese side. He had for some time
thought that now the war in Burma was seventy years ago, it was more than
time for reconciliation. I was the widow of a Chindit, so was just as interested.
Bob Cook from the Kohima Museum in York, and Celia Grover, the daughter in law
of General Grover from the Burma Campaign, were also part of our group.
.....Akiko arranged an itinerary for us, so
that we could also meet other Japanese veterans, and other people who would
like to meet Roy. She did the booking for the flights and hotels, and also
arranged that if possible we could be upgraded to Business Class, which
we were lucky to have.
.....We travelled between 20 and 28th October
2014, and had a varied programme of visits, in Tokyo, and also went on
the bullet train to Shonai. We were very well looked after, including a
wheelchair for Roy when the distance was too far for him to walk. We met
many people, several who escorted us everywhere we went - in particular
two Japanese ladies and Yoshi, who lives in the UK. He met us at London
Heathrow and travelled with us and then saw us of at Tokyo Haneda airport
when we came home. Akiko had arranged for us to be upgraded to Business
class if there were spare seats, and we were lucky both journeys.
.....We met Akiko’s father, and also
two other Veterans. The meetings were very emotional, with holding each
others hands, tears and hugging each other, and talking through an interpreter.
We had an Indian film crew travelling with us, and they interviewed one
of the Veterans and Roy at length, beside a lake near a Shrine. Roy had
several interviews with Japanese newspapers during our stay, and also before
and after. Either by email, or one journalist came to visit us both times.
.....We had a visit to the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission cemetery at Hodogaya, outside Tokyo, and laid wreaths.
Roy would have liked to see if there were any Royal Berkshire Regiment
graves, but we had a full schedule.
.....We took part in ceremonies in several
shrines, and were given refreshments in some of them. This was a privilege,
as normally people are not allowed in parts of some shrines. Outside one
of them General Sato was commemorated.
.....We visited the British Embassy, and met
Captain Suzuki of the Parachute Regiment, who was seconded to the Embassy
and who would be returning to the Parachute Regiment’s base in Colchester,
where we live. We were also invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
.....We had lunch one day at a silk Museum,
and saw World War two memorabilia at another Museum.
.....At Shonai we had a very buy time, staying
for only one night. The Hotel was a Japanese style one. We had to remove
our shoes and put on the mule type shoes provided, and Roy had the wheels
of his walker cleaned before we went in. The beds were Japanese, on the
floor. But we were made very welcome, and there was a beautiful Japanese
garden.
.....We met up with many officials there,
including at a large Reception and meal. Shonai is in a huge valley surrounded
by hills, and we went up to a shrine on Mount Hagura.
.....We met up with new people in a variety
of venues, and learnt a lot about Japan and its customs in the war and
modern times. . It is such a clean and tidy place, we saw no litter anywhere.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, although it was very busy, and tiring,
especially for Roy with all his interviews.
ITINERARY:
20th October 2014:
Saw us being met at London Heathrow by Yoshi, and were lucky to be upgraded to
fly business class to Tokyo Haneda airport. From then until we left Tokyo Haneda
Airport we were looked after and entertained by many Japanese people and Roy
was able to use a wheelchair if it was too far for him to walk. Roy was interviewed
by newspapers and filmed by an Indian film crew who we had met before.
Tuesday 21st:
We arrived in Tokyo Haneda airport, and was greeted by Akiko, and took the
airport shuttle bus to Tokyo rail station, and a taxi to our hotel. We settled
in and then met up with the other two British members of our group - Bob Cook
from the Kohima Museum in York,and Celia Grover, daughter in law of General
Grover from the Burma Campaign, and we all went out for a meal.
Wednesday 22nd:
We all went to the Commonwealth War Grave cemetery at Hodogaya, outside Tokyo,
where there are graves of British, ANZAC and Canadian. Servicemen. One of
the Tokyo Branch, Royal British Legion were with us. After lunch we visited
Akiko’s
father in the Home in Kugayama where he lives, and were well looked after
by the staff there, and Roy was presented
with gifts made by those who lived there.
Thursday 23rd:
We stopped off at the big department store at Tokyo station to have a look,
and had the traditional green tea, made from the leaves before they were dried,
which looks and tastes a lot different from the usual green tea. Whenever we
were at various functions, we were given the Japanese green tea. We went to
visit the Imperial Palace, which was a long walk, and it started to rain heavily,
so we did not continue.
Our next port of call was the British Embassy. The Ambassador was not there,
but we had English afternoon tea with Capt. Suzuki, who was seconded there
from the Parachute Regiment, and would be returning in due course to their
base in Colchester, where we live. Then we went to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, where we had dialogue. In the evening Bob went out with the other
men who we had met, and Akiko, Celia and us had a sushi meal.
Friday 24th:
We visited Yasukuni Jinja Shrine. Roy met up with a Japanese Veteran, with
whom he was interviewed after lunch. We had a ceremony at the Shrine conducted
by the (Shinto?) Priest, which included washing hands and mouth, and laying
of branches inside the rail in the shrine. After a buffet lunch, we visited
a Museum.
Saturday 25th:
We caught taxis at 5.10am to Tokyo station for the 6.10am Bullet train. We
could feel very little motion, although the one we were on stopped at several
stations, so we did not attain high speeds. We passed through quite a few tunnels,
and over rivers, and for a while had the sea on our left. We passed through
villages and towns,. The architecture was interesting, plenty of rice paddy
fields, and allotments in some villages. We had to change trains to Amaruma
(for Shonai).where we arrived four and a half hours after leaving Tokyo. .The
hotel was near the railway station, and was a Japanese style one. We had to
take off our shoes and put on the slippers provided, and Roy had the wheels
of his walker cleaned. (We found the Japanese streets and everywhere very clean,
not like some places in the UK) The bedrooms were Japanese style, with the
bed on the floor and cushions on the floor nest to a low table. But there were
two armchairs for us to sit in. After settling in, we went to see part of a
prize giving at the Tohoku Koueki Bunka University. Our next stop was the Buddhist
Jukeiji Temple Shrine and cemetery. General Sato who had been in charge of
the Burma Campaign was buried there. There we met up with another Japanese
Veteran. Then we all went to a Reception and meal at Akusan Venue and met up
with many officials. Roy was still being interviewed by newspapers etc.
Sunday 26th:
We took part in a traditional tea ceremony, where the english members of our
group where able to sit on chairs, but everyone else had to sit on the floor
as was usual
Then went to a silk museum, where we had lunch before looking round the Museum.
It was a Japanese lunch, in beautiful lacquered boxes. Then a visit to another
Shrine on the Mount Hagura and we took part in the ceremony after having
tea. Usually visitors are not allowed into the parts that we went into. The
drive
there was beautiful, with mountains all round, and a level plain inside them.
There was a part of the garden where children were buried, with tiny children’s
windmills turning in the breeze. \we returned to the hotel and had tea, and
saw the picture and article about Roy in their local paper. Then we caught
the 4.08 pm train back to Tokyo, with a change back to the bullet train half
way.
Monday 27th:
We packed for our return home in the morning. We went to a market, where
we had a snack lunch, and managed to get a few presents to take home. There
was
a large incense container there at the entrance to a Shrine.
In the evening we were invited to a special meal in a room in a restaurant
where we met Yushi’s two brothers and his son and a nephew, and some
of the people who were with us on the tour.
Tuesday 28th:
Yoshi escorted us to Haneda airport in the morning, where we were lucky to
be upgraded to business class back to London Heathrow, where we were met by
my daughter Helen.
Sgt. Roy Welland 5337618
Sgt. Welland Receiving
A Warm Welcome
Sgt. Welland At One Of The Many
Shrines
Hodogaya, Outside Tokyo
Sgt. Welland Laying Wreath
Sgt. Welland, Ruthe Smith
and Japanes Burma Veteran,
By The Lake
Accommodation