HomeGraduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences,
International Peace and Co-existence Program
Dr John Lee Candelaria
leecandelaria[at]hiroshima-u.ac.jp
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IPC Seminar
Film: “ABANDONED: The Stories of Japanese War Orphans in the Philippines and China,” directed by Hiroyasu Obara
Moderator: Dr John Lee Candelaria
Date and Time: Tuesday, 21 November 2023 / 10:00 – 12:15 PM (JST)
Venue: IDEC Large Conference Room
Language: English
*This event is held in cooperation with the Philippines-Hiroshima Exchange through History and Peace Education Projects (PHETHAPEP).
Details
In the heart-wrenching documentary "Abandoned: The Stories of Japanese War Orphans in The Philippines and China," the forgotten echoes of World War II's devastation are brought to light through the lives of those who were most vulnerable—children. The film chronicles the plight of Japanese orphans who were left behind in the aftermath of war, stranded in foreign lands that became their reluctant homes. Torn from their families amidst the turmoil of Japan's retreat, these children found themselves adrift in the Philippines and China. Raised by strangers, they adapted to new cultures and languages, their Japanese identities buried under the necessity of survival. As they grew, so did the void of their heritage, leaving them caught between the world they were born into and the one they were raised in. Decades later, the film follows the emotional odyssey of these now-grown orphans as they seek to unearth their origins and reconnect with their long-lost Japanese families. "Abandoned" offers an intimate glimpse into their private battles with identity and belonging, and the bittersweet journey toward closure and self-discovery. This poignant documentary captures not just the historical and geopolitical consequences of war, but the deeply personal scars etched onto the lives of innocent children, revealing the enduring human cost of conflict.
Contact
International Peace and Co-existence Program
This cross-disciplinary program aims to consolidate students’ basic knowledge and to enhance their critical thinking skills in the academic disciplines of Peace Studies, Cultural Anthropology, International Relations, Law, Ethics, Area Studies, and Memory Studies under the common key concept of “Peace and Co-existence.”
Students can choose a subject area and a specific topic to conduct independent research, with guidance from the academic staff who specialize in a variety of research fields, including nuclear damage, armed conflict, and the interrelations between development and culture. Other research interests include social inequalities stemming from issues of poverty, gender, ethnicity and religion as well as war and ethics, and security and nuclear weapons.
