Son of Japanese soldier who died during WWII in Indonesia cherishes pebbles as substitute for remains

Mitsuaki Yoshino heads to the Nippon Budokan Hall for the 80th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Friday. - Photo: The Yomuri Shimbun

TOKYO: Mitsuaki Yoshino has few memories of his father, Kumazo, who died in Indonesia during World War II. He considers three pebbles to be the soul of his late father, as he collected them near where Kumazo is thought to have died.

“I will never forget my father and will never allow such a war to happen again,” said Yoshino, 87, of Machida, Tokyo, who attended the 80th Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead on Friday (Aug 15).