Added on July 21, 2015  The News Wheel   , , , ,
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Mitsubishi Apologizes to Prisoners of WWII

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Mitsubishi Apology

Hikaru Kimura apologizes for Mitsubishi’s actions during World War II
Photo: YouTube

In August, Japan will be marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. As the country prepares to do just that, one of its largest corporations—Mitsubishi Materials—has apologized for the use of captured American soldiers as forced laborers.

Hikaru Kimura, a senior executive officer at Mitsubishi Materials, made the company’s official apology in Los Angeles on Sunday. While the Japanese government has apologized for the wartime atrocities, Mitsubishi Materials is the first private corporation to express remorse for what occurred during World War II. In an effort to rectify its deeds, the company even searched out the living survivors of their labor camps, inviting them to see the apology firsthand.

One of these survivors is James Murphy, a 94-year-old American who was in his early 20s when he became a Japanese prisoner of war. Upon hearing the apology, Murphy said he was “elated,” happy to finally hear the apology he had waited to hear for the past seven decades.

Watch Mitsubishi’s apology to Prisoners of WWII now:

“I’ve listened very carefully to Mr. Kimura’s statement of apology and found it very, very sincere, humble, and revealing, and this happens to be the first time that we’ve heard those words and they really touch you at the heart,” said Murphy.

Mitsubishi’s apology comes in part due to the company’s philosophy. The Japanese corporation tries to be a company “for people, society, and the Earth.” After making Mitsubishi’s apologetic statement, Kimura gave a customary deep bow of remorse to Murphy, who appeared visibly moved.

At the time Allied forces liberated Mitsubishi labor camps in 1945, the company had nearly 900 American soldiers.

News Source: CNN