Japan apologizes to Canadian prisoners of war

A handful of men heard an apology from the Japanese government Thursday meant to sooth more than 70 years of monstrous memories. CTV's Omar Sachedina has more.

Power Play: Japan apologizes to Canada

Japanese ambassador Kaoru Ishikawa discusses Japan's formal apology to Canadian soldiers that were brutally treated in the Second World War. He says he hopes Canada and Japan can build a great relationship.

Power Play: What apology might mean to Canadians

Jacob Kovalio, a professor of Japanese Studies at Carleton University and former president of the Japan Studies Association, discusses Japan's apology to Canada for the mistreatment of soldiers in WW2 and what this might mean to the veterans themselves.

Canada AM: What the apology means for Japan

Sgt. George MacDonell, a former prisoner of war, says surviving prisoners are happy with the apology. He also explains how the apology is important for the Japanese people, as it will hopefully lead to the Japanese government opening up on their secretive and violent past.

Watch: See all Videos in the Player

A A | Email This Email | Print | Comments (66) Tweet

Allied POWs greeting their liberators at the Omori POW Camp near Tokyo, Aug. 29, 1945. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

View Larger Image

Selected Comment

I hate to say it, but I'm with Paul on this one. Seventy years too late...apology simply NOT accepted.

Mandosa

Japan apologizes to former Canadian prisoners of war

talking about
Japan apologizes to Canadian prisoners of war

Got something to say?

CTVNews.ca

Date: Thu. Dec. 8 2011 9:43 AM ET

A Canadian who spent four years in a Japanese POW camp after the Battle of Hong Kong says the apology issued Thursday morning is an "extremely important" step towards acknowledging atrocities committed during the Second World War.

The apology was issued in Tokyo by Toshiyuki Kat, Japan's parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs.

It comes roughly 70 years after the Allies surrendered in Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1941, after almost 18 days of fighting.

In total 290 Canadians were killed in the battle and 493 were wounded. The survivors were held prisoner in Hong Kong and Japan until Aug. 15, 1945, when they were rescued by U.S. Marines.

"We survivors are happy about their apology which they have refused to give over 70 years," George MacDonell, 90, told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday.

"I'm hoping this apology will open up the Japanese secrecy over their treatment of (POWs) during World War 2 in 14 of their captured nations."

MacDonell, originally from Edmonton, spent four years as a PoW in Japan, subjected to what he described as "slave labour" in a shipyard, and later in Japanese mines deep underground. He and the other PoWs living in a constant state of near-starvation and malnutrition.

About 267 Canadians died in the PoW camps from starvation, malnutrition and abuse.

That type of treatment was typical in nations captured by the Japanese during the Second World War, MacDonell said, adding that until now Japan has refused to acknowledge its brutal past.

Few survivors remain to serve as eyewitnesses to the atrocities, he said.

"The Japanese have denied this for 70 years and have done everything they can to keep their young people from knowing what happened during this period," said MacDonell.

He added: "I don't think they can go on and be a healthy culture by hiding this terrible past of theirs."

Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney led a delegation of Canadian veterans who travelled to Japan to accept the apology and take part in a commemorative ceremony.

"This important gesture is a crucial step in ongoing reconciliation and a significant milestone in the lives of all prisoners of war," said Blaney in a statement.

"It acknowledges their suffering while honouring their sacrifices and courage."

MacDonell, who wrote a book about his experience called "The Soldier's Story," said he and the other Canadian prisoners never gave up during their ordeal.

"The Canadian Army refused to surrender. We saw this as simply a temporary setback," he said. "We believed in our ideas, we believed we were in the right and that we would be victorious in the end. And we were."

With files from The Canadian Press

Comments are now closed for this story

ob server
said

From 1931 to 1945, The Japanese violated Chinese territory (air, sea, and land) and murdered more than 30 million children, women, and men in China alone. They used both chemical and biological weapons in China, unindustrialized then. One of the worst war criminal in human history, the so-called Japanese Emperor, walked free after their defeat. No sincere official apology has been given to China by Japan for decades.

Strider
said

Sassy: Yes the Canadian gov't wrongly imprisoned Japanese during WWII, which they shopuld apologise for, however the key difference is that we didn't stare them, torture them or put them into slave labour camps and worked them to death.

Blake
said

Like the Germans, the Japanese are not the same people they were 70 years ago. The generation of today's Japanese and like the Germans, look back at what their parents, great grnadparents, great great grandparents did, and are likely ashamed of what they did. I am pretty sure if the people of 70 years ago existed in their own country today, they'd be outcast and/or in jail.

Good too see that todays generations can learn from the mistakes (most of the time stupidity) of their forefathers and make amends on their heritages behalf. Especially where it counts. They can't change the past, but they can help ensure that it will not happen again and be involed in in helping others to not do the same crap.

Remarkable
said

What the Japanese did to Canadian POW's was a blatant criminal act and for our men to have suffered under such horrible conditions I only hope that the generations of Canadians to come will never have to endure such things. Having an uncle who served with the Canadian Army in Hong Kong never talked about the horrible things he endured accept about how little food they had and how he would take the legs off of grasshoppers and eat them for protein. My uncle has long since passed on, but those Hong Kong Vets who remain, if they accept the apology then we too must accept it as well, however we shall never forget from our history what had been done and we must do whatever we can to ensure that this will never happen again.

KJ in Calgary
said

Did the Japanese who were prisoners not demand compensation? Maybe Canada should not be the only country to pay compensation in situations like this!

Sassy
said

Do we Canadian forget that durning WWII , the Canadian government held Japanese people in these same camps?they were taken from there homes, jobs and placed in POW camps just because they were japanese. Did the Canadian government ever apology?

And really why did they take them as POW was it because of what the american did to them with there fat man and little boy? Did the American apology to them for doing that?

My dad and two Aunts served in the Canadian army during WWII.

So I say yes it was about time that a apology was due.
And they should rewrite the history books to tell what really happened over there for there sake and ours. The healing has to start.

Syl
said

Along with the appology should come several billion dollars in compensation.

Bruce McTavish
said

The key to this is informing the young people of Japan of exactly what was done during the second world war. They must acknowledge publicly to the Japanese people. Otherwise, it means nothing.

Brian Fr Langley
said

For the POW who was captured by the Japanese in the fall of Hong Kong, and relayed his story to me some 40 years ago now, there were not enough tears in the world, to express the depths of the sorrow he felt for himself and the so many young men who fell, both in battle and captivity. That men could do to other men, what was done to him and the boys with him, was an affront to his soul. Liberty comes costly bought. "Lest we forget"

ex-RAF
said

This is `one small step for man.` I have not seen the entire apology, but I did not see anything about Brit and other allied POW`s who also suffered for years under that atrocity.
My cousin passed away last year having spent his life working for some act of reconciliation by the Japanese. Too late for him. The parents of my wife`s best friend were civilian internees and though they returned to UK, their nightly screams woke the entire village for years until they passed away. They never lost the horrors they witnessed. They never lived productively again. Too late for them.
Unlike the German people and governments, the Japanese have not only never apologised, they have refused even to acknowledge their past, going so far as to deny its historical truth on a National level.
Now lets see the `Giant step for mankind.`

John
said

Japan's parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs? The apology comes 70 years later and the message comes from the lowest ranking bureaucrat they can find. Apology not accepted.

Charlie
said

We must never forget. My father was a POW in Hong Kong. He never talked about his time as a POW. Every Christmas he would go to his bedroom and cry. He suffered his entire life from the effects of being starved and beaten. My hope is the people of Janpan discover the real truth.

Thomas
said

We are getting really stupid as a world as a society! Must be the left wing, liberal minded, political correct garbage influencing us but, two countries go to war, they put the other country's country men in prison while the war goes on for their safety. Many years later they than apologize. That sounds as foolish as all get out in to me. It sounds like the mind of a left winger. Come on people, what's next apologizing to nazi germans for not hugging them enough when one was captured and than wait for nazi germany to apologize to the Jewish people for trying to wipe them off the face of the earth, the left sacred cow, the multicultural hero, muslims won't like that, to them the holocaust didn't happen, they were there and plus those same nasty people from Israel stole their land. Right. Come on, we really got to get this horrible left wing garbage out of the world, it will be the death of the species.

Vinnie
said

Yes and the world apologizes for mass killing thousands of innocent people in Hiroshima in a split second... The scumbag governments are the true blame, all the rest are puppets.

JB in Ontario
said

Better late than never. The Japanes are a very honourable people. Many do not know this, but the Japanese fought with the Canadians in WWI.

earl
said

This country done this to our young men in uniform, yet for years we flock to the car dealerships to enable them and buy their products. Not me i will walk first.

Michael from the real world
said

Nicolas--if you are going to write the blather that you did, you ought to, at the very least, get the numbers correct. There were nowhere near the 4 million Japanese "incinerated" that you claim. In Japanese culture, surrender is about the worst thing a soldier can do. It strips away all honour and leaves one in the most shameful condition possible. Worse by far [to Japanese] than being a slave in a mine, or in a rice paddy. That doesn't excuse Japanese behaviour, not for a second [especially considering the Geneva Protocol]. The best we can do is forgive, but never forget. Some of my relatives were missionaries in the Far East, and were forced on a Death March, and not all made it. They lie beside the road they fell on.

maggie
said

about time ! ah but then there is a method to this madness - many of the survivors are gone !though why it took so long is beyond me - someone said that is was all about "saving face" ???? "saving face" - what is worse - acknowledging you made a mistake and making amends - or thumbing your nose and have the ridicule of others behind your back... acknowledging can be very healing......What Japan did was beyond reprehensible - the Canadian Government apologized and provided financial compensation for inconvenience basically (yes lives were uprooted but in the grand scheme of things)... - these POW's paid with their health and more importantly with their lives ! Japan owes more than an apology !

manner
said

@RIVER, please read a history book. Germany has paid billions, approaching trillions of dollars in reparation payments to countries and victims. Unlike other countries, Germany took full responsibility for the Holocaust and both World Wars. it continues to educate its children about the reality of the wars and the Holocuast. It took full ownership as to what happened between 1914 - 1945 and yes, River, it has and continues to apologize and be an advocate of human rights.

AF
said

Nicholas - when did we incinerate 4 million Japanese civilians? Check your facts - casualties from the nuclear bombs were less than 250,000 (although there were likely long term chronic impacts on others). But 4 million were certainly not "incinerated". You're thinking of the Holocaust (>6 million jews murdered).

Ranger
said

So the folks from the rising sun finallygot around to saying something.. Too late?

David from Edmonton
said

I knew a nurse who tried her best to patch up allied troops who had been tortured by the Japanese. The things she described I can't repeat. Among the Japanese and the Nazis there were some real monsters.

Jasper
said

A late friend of my Dad's was one of the Canadian POW's captured in Hong Kong. His story was much more gruesome than most people can imagine. They had to survive on 1/2 a cup of rice a day plus whatever rats or bugs they could capture. If you were sick, you were left to die. The Japs did not think twice about sticking a bayonet through you. They did not waste bullets.

Chris
said

I'm some what on both sides of this story. One side: "We have apologized for interning Japanese citizens in Canada, and now Japan has apologized for torturing Canadians overseas in PoW camps - I gladly accept that. Another side: "It only took several months and years for Germany to surrender and recognize its horrific mistakes (Holocaust, and other events everyone pretty much knows), whereas Japan takes too much time and not considering their war crimes are very sensitive and a horrific mistake to learn from (occupation of Korea, Nanking, and many more atrocities across Asia) - I don't know how that will conclude.

Gary
said

This took 70 years? We thought our government was slow to act. For a culture based on honour it seems like they are hypocritical.

Alex
said

Forgive, but never forget otherwise you will be doomed to repeat it.

Nici
said

My grandpa was a POW in Hong kong, he has been dead for 20 years now. I know that he would have accepted the appology. he was a good man. Even though it has been 70 years it's never too late to applogize.

Franky
said

The Japanese have a lot to apologize for after the atrocities they commits during and before the war - to POWs as well as civilians in the countries the occupied.And to River - yes, the Germans did apologize for many of the thing they did.

Theresa
said

The only people who have a right to accept or deny the apology are the survivors. The Japanese did horrendously evil things to POWs. It is a shame that they waited to apologize knowing there were so few survivors left to hear it. I hope for those men still alive, who endured the inhumanity, this will bring them some measure of solace. God bless them for their sacrifice.

Peter LeGresley, Kamloops, Bc
said

Well it's taken a very long time. One of my Dad's cousins died in a POW camp in Japan. I hope the families of POWs that died in the camps will also be apologized to. My Dad never forgot the sacrifice that his cousin George Bisson made for freedom. My heart goes out to all the veterans of those camps; you sacrifices will also not be forgotten.

Nicolas
said

You do realise thet we incinerated nearly 4 million of their civilians, not to mention the bombs...in the end war is horrible, and the apology, while it is late, should be acceped in the interest of moving on.

River
said

An honorable thing to say, even after 70 years. It will help the future generations. Did the Germans ever say "I'm sorry"? to anyone?

manner
said

When is the Nuremburg Trial version for Japanese military leaders and followers going to be held? Where is the redress and the accountability and the reparations payments for the follwing: 1. The people of Nanking2. The Koreans and Filipinos3. The Prisoners of War (Apology is only a start) Please don't tell me they were all following the orders of the Emporer. What is applicable in Europe is applicable in Asia!

Sherry (ex military)
said

As many of the survivors now have accepted this apology - we must as well as it has nothing to do with us but with the surviving Canadian Soldiers. However it is really too bad that it has come too late for those others who have passed away before hearing it. We do not have the right to say it is not enough - only those soldiers themselves do. Thank you to the soldiers who gave and suffered so much for our freedom! Thank you my brothers!

Blake
said

My father-inlaw was a Japanese POW, survived the Battle of Hong Kong and nearly 4 years in internment. His stories and others are an amazing testiment to courage. Understanding Japanese culture, this is a HUGE step for the Japanese government to formally appologize, even though it was only a vice minister (should have been the Prime Minister or member of the royal family) it is an aknowledgement of wrong. It is not my right to accept or deny this appology, but the remaining veterns and the Canadaian government.In the days to come, we will see what being wrong means to the Japanese and what they will do to ammend for the wrongs of the past. Only words now, the proof will be in the pudding.

Mike K. Calgary
said

Apologys' should be accepted as sincere, since (in terms of country to country) the people dishing out the apology are rarely the people that committed the wrongs, whatever they may be.(I am sure they are better educated and more empathic and would never dream of doing anything like their predecessors have done) Also, we tend to blame the entire country, but in reality it was just a few top government people that gave the order to do these bad things. If the lower ranks defied the order they were just shot and someone else is told to do the dirty deed. Lets also not be too quick to judge. I am sure most of us owes someone, somewhere, a truly sincere apology.

kate
said

Too late for my friend who just died this October at the age of 92.

Mark in Newmarket
said

To little too late. For decades they refused to comment about it, they refused to acknowldge it and they refused to compensate our veterans for what they did to them. Our veterns had to endure brutal conditions, no food accept a hand full of rice daily, bad water, terrible living conditions. My fathers cousin was captured in Hong Kong and endured 3yrs of this. When he left Canada to go to Hong Kong, he was a strong, healthy 170lb young man, when he came home he was a sickly, unhealthy 85lb bag of bones. Sorry Japan, apology not accepted and your actions come far to late as many of these veterans have already passed away, many of them far too early because of the abuse they endured when they were held by you.

Gorg
said

Let the truth be revealed as to how non-combatants and prisoners of war were really treated. I recall years ago in high school when a veteran of the 2nd world war who was a POW in a Japanese prison camp came to our school and mentioned some of the harsh treatment and they received. He lost a brother in one of these same type of camps. There were four young men from my home town that never made it back from these conditions. An uncle of mine barely made it back. Some of the newly freed prisoners were too weak to eat or drink when the Red Cross arrived. Money couldn't return those lost family members who were in the line of duty. An apology is a start. The truth is what we really need so this doesn't happen again.

David in Regina
said

There was great wrong done by both sides of the war and as much as all of this happened before I was born, it is good to see that they too are seeing the wrong of what they did.It took too long to forgive by both sides but better later than never.Hopefully this leads to 'Never doing it again'.

bikerborz
said

I agree that 70 years may be too long for an apology, but look at the big picture, people. 1) Japan's ideology for many decades (centuries?) was that they were the best people, and everyone else was much lesser. Thus, their "treatment" of prisoners and others was justified (correct or not). In their eyes, they did nothing wrong. For this alone, the apology is HUGE. 2) Yes, it's two generations late. But apologies, and forgiveness, is the biggest step to reconciliation and moving FORWARD, and not being trapped in the past, or repeating the past. It assuages anger which develops into bitterness, which develops into hate. (This works for individuals as well as nations.) I heartily applaud the Japanese people for this massive step!

Dave in MB
said

Hey, Dan in New York; there were Geneva conventions earlier than 1949. 1949 was the fourth convention. The first was in 1864, second in 1906 and the third was in 1929. The one in 1929 dealt with the treatment of P.O.W.'s and the Japanese were in violation of the treaty.

john
said

Did Japan offer our vets, treated like crap any money like the Canadian Government did under Mulroney in his apology for interning Japanese people here?Nah i didn't think so!At least we didn't starve and torture them.... unlike our poor vets suffered in Japan camps!

Rae
said

What about the babies bayoneted for sport in Nanking?

BranTeniMits
said

I really think the only opinion that counts in this situation is that of the Veterans. They are the ones who experienced it first hand and they are the ones the apology is for. I've read books about what these people went through and it is the most unimaginable, horrible thing. So before you start ranting about how the apology is too late and why are the Canadians not apologizing for their own wrong doings in the past, ask your local War Heroes how they feel.

Paddy
said

Kevin, Canadians did not use Japanese people as bayonet practice. The atrocities carried out by the Japanese during WW2 were as disgusting as the Nazis and for the most part they have tried to hide their wrongdoings. Read up on the Rape of Nanking.

Anne
said

I don't put much stock in this, given how they still consider non Japanese to be lesser beings in their own country. They are very adept at saying the correct things when some gain is to be had, but they don't mean it.

ChrisM
said

Response to Kevin: I don't condone what Canada did to Japanese Canadians in the war, but Canada did not brutally murder these people, force them into slave labour and starve them. Japan DID these things to our soldiers and allied soldiers. Stop furthering a revisionist history agenda, which is so typical of the historically ignorant and left wing. This apology is not enough, and it's too late.

Dan in York
said

@ Paul ~ Kitchener the Geneva Convention was only created in 1949 as a result of the treatment of POWs in WWII

honest joe civy
said

Does anyone look at a calander, 2011! If we learn from this and move on, that is a sign of wanting better. Constantly carrying these incidents from our past and bringing it forward does impede our progress. If you don't want war then prepare for it. Today we know and see more than any generation in our planets time but we don't implement all we have learned and we always carry luggage from the past that will keep our progress from moving forward. WW2 was a horrible war as was WW1 and if we can learn and work to get basic expectations and beliefs we can grow to levels not thought of. Today we watch as famine and torture by goverments to keep people impovished is a weapon that should never be allowed to be used.

KEVIN
said

how many years passed before canada apologized to all the japanese forced to move away from coastal areas during the war?

Original Canadien
said

As commendable as the gesture is - along with our own government's apology for interment during the same time period, it is the people responsible directly that should have apologized. Tthe Japanese of today , like us Canadiens, were not involved and the efforts in this case are nothing but revisionist style of work. We are unable to judge theirs actions as we have not lived through it - not one of us - and today's wars are nothing comapred to then. You're better off comparing today's wars with video games than actual full out combat for months and years at a time since most "missions" today are done in hours and in days at most.

Dav
said

Perhaps we should commend them for apologizing to begin with, the people in power there now are not the same people that were in power during the war. I guess the Japanese are the first people to commit atrocities against fellow humans. I wonder if North Americans feel the need to apologize for taking the Native's land away from them and paving it for a strip mall? I wonder how long it will take the US to apologize for water boarding (torturing) innocent Muslims who have been held captive in Guantanamo Bay without trial for nearly a decade. Does the US apologize when one of their bombs kills children by mistake or are they just called 'collateral damage'....My point is lets not condemn people who are admitting wrong doing, lets commend them for it. People on this continent would be better off if we didn't think we're better than the entire world.

Eric, Lethbridge
said

For the people that think the apology is to late. An apology is never to late. Plus you might want to remember that all Japanese people living in canada and the time were stripped of all their homes shops and put into camps. None of their land was given back. And that was never done to anyone with German background during the second world war. In war no one wins

SAM
said

Canada has committed wrongs against the Chinese in Canada during WW II, as well as against our own Native people in the past. I was touched by the graciousness of these peoples when our Prime Minister Steven Harper asked forgiveness of them for these things. I would hope that Canadians would be as gracious to receive and accept this apology from Japan. Japan, this Canadian accepts your apology and may we all live in peace.

CamilleToews
said

Wow - that's a change- Usually it is Canadians who end up forking out apologies AND whacks of money to minorities relatives for alleged wrongdoings.Maybe it is time to say enough, and realize that there are bad things that happen in wars, and we are not responsible for the damages done by our ancestors Life goes on. And even looking back, we still see the same sort of behaviour in many parts of the world.

Acroyear
said

Before saying if it's acceptable or not I'd like to see the words of the formal apology. If it has real contrition? Yes, too late... but at least the gesture has been made... SOME Japanese are remembering what their nation became. But if it's one of those save face ones, filled with diplomatic "but's" and "the times" and "you must understand"... than NOT accepted. A real, honest apology for what was done, or it's not worth the breath that was used to pronounce it. WE apologized long ago for how we treated Japanese Canadian's during the war... with no excuses... their apology for the horror they inflicted on Asia and the Allies must be real as well. Let's hope for once it's the real one... and not the politically expedient one.

Karen
said

@Frank Buchan - Because it's still important. Yes, we should aim to cease current wars as well, but that doesn't make respecting and honouring our veterans any less important. If someone punched you really hard in the face, broke your nose, and didn't say anything about it, but then never punched another person in their life, wouldn't you still want an apology?

Karen
said

I suppose it's better late than never, but really, it's pretty sad for it to be this late.

Mandosa
said

I hate to say it, but I'm with Paul on this one. Seventy years too late...apology simply NOT accepted.

rick
said

TOO LITTLE, WAY TOO LATE. Leave our vets alone ! Your words are hollow and have no meaning. Shame will always be on your people's ancestors for their cowardly way of life.

Dean
said

Where is the apology for the Rape of Nanking? Or to all the Korean "comfort women" ? Or the brutality inflicted on American, Australian, British and other Allied soldiers? Japan even now censors their WWII history to smooth over their atrocities all the while condemning the US for using the atom bomb.Why the apology now and why not reparations to the families of these people??

J.C.
said

What a shame the majority of veterans have now passed on so the apology comes a bit late for far to many.One has to wonder why it has taken Japan 66 years since the war ended to make this apology, let alone why the prisoners were treated so harshly!

Paul ~ Kitchener
said

" APOLOGY " ~ Idle words coming 70 years later. A lotta good the words do for the families of those tortured and killed at the hands of those who laughed at the Geneva Convention. When you look at Canada today;1: We drive Japanese Cars2: We rush to SUSHI restaurants3: We watch Japanese made Televisions4: We use Japanese electronicsI find it difficult today as to who really "Won the War" ????"Apology" not accepted ~ Compensation to the families of the HERO's ~ now that is tangible remorse coupled with words.

paul
said

It's very late, very few veterans left from the second world war, with most being in their 80's and 90's

Frank Buchan
said

While I grasp this is a civilized gesture, and applaud what genuine kindness may lay behind it, I still have to wonder why we're all expending so much energy on apologies for what happened during wars of the past, while still committing the same atrocities around the world today in the name of corporatism. Wouldn't just ending that negative process be better than apologising for it? That's too much to ask of the human race, I guess.