A group of six American former POWs ended their official visit to Japan today. Earlier this week, soon to be ex-Foreign Minister Okada* apologized to the men for the treatment they had received as POWs. The treatment included being forced into slave labor for certain Japanese companies and enduring beatings at the hands of people at the said companies, which the POWs said were worse than what they received from the understandably angered soldiers whom they had been fighting.
They have not received an apology from the corporations (or their successors) for the brutality they endured. In fact, those corporations have refused as much as a meeting with these men. Which corporations?
Nippon Steel
Mitsui Mining Company (Now Nippon Coke and Engineering Company)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
and a number of so far unnamed others. Up to 60 companies used POWs as slave labor. None made any public comments on the visit of the former POWs/slave laborers.
I hope to never hear again about some supposed special Japanese honor---at least concerning those who run these companies.
I am personally embarrassed about Nippon Steel being listed here.
Related article here. I hope to get a fuller listing of the 60 companies later.
*Okada will be replaced by Seiji Maehara---not related to the apology
Friday, September 17, 2010
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I'd like to find out what the other companies were, too.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you personally embarrassed? Do you work for Nippon Steel?
No, I don't work directly for Nippon Steel.
ReplyDeleteI can't really say much else, other than the fact that I know a number of people who do work there and find this attitude by the company...well, embarrassing.