Figure 1.--Thousands of Japanese civilians in Korea were repatriated following the Japanese surrender. Many like these boys were born there. This photogrph was taken in an unidentified Korea port on December 11, 1945. The one boy looks to be wearing a military uniform, but that is his school uniform.

One not extensively discussed topic is the repriation of overseas Japanese following the surrender. Many of the people involved were soldiers. Unlike the Germans at the end of the War, the Jaspanese still held territory throughout the Pacific, Southeast Asia, China, and Korea. In adition to the military, there were also large numbers of civilians. German civilians repatriated after the War encountered the hatred of people in meigboring countries and suffered terribly. I am less certain about the experience of Japanese civilians. Japan began building an empire with the seizure of Formosa (Taiwan) in 1895 and Korea (1910). Part of Japan's colonial policy involved installing Japanese administrators, but there were also efforts to establish a Japanese population as well as to establish Japanese culture. The local population was, for example, required to learn and speak Japanese. The Japanese Government after seizing Manchuria (1931), promoted Japanese settlement, but with only limited success. I'm not sure about the number of civilians involved or about their interactions with the local population. Most of the civilians repatriated came from Formosa, Korea, and Manchuria, but smaller numbers came from other countries as well. Some of these countries (Korea/Manchuria were liberated or partially liberated by the Soviets. Japanese soldiers surrendering to te Red Army suffered for years in the Siviet Gulag. I am not sure how civilians fared.

Created: 5:14 AM 10/6/2005
Last updated: 5:14 AM 10/6/2005