Museum in Maizuru Dedicated to Remembering Siberian Deportation Experience
Maizuru, a city in Kyoto Prefecture, has a rich history that stretches back to its role as a home port for the Imperial Japanese Navy. One of the city's most significant attractions, developed in recent years, is the Maizuru World Brick Museum, housed in storehouses that once served the Maizuru Naval Station.
During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Maizuru played a major role, receiving many Siberian detainees. Fast forward to World War II, and Maizuru was one of 18 ports in Japan designated to receive Japanese military personnel and civilians repatriated from overseas territories. Between 1945 and 1958, approximately 6,500 Japanese internees returned from Siberia to Japan via the port of Maizuru.
The Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum, opened in 1988, was built to remember the experience of these Japanese troops held in forced labor camps in Siberia. The museum was the result of fundraising efforts by former internees and Maizuru residents, totaling ¥74 million. Today, over 16,000 items are housed in the museum, of which around 1,000 are on permanent display.
The museum's collection includes lists of names and other information on those who died in the labor camps, letters to their families, and other articles. One of the most unique items is the Shirakaba nisshi, a collection of diaries containing 200 haiku and tanka poems, brought back from Siberia by Seno Shū. These diaries offer a poignant glimpse into the lives of the internees.
Another intriguing aspect of the museum is the story of the prisoners' amusements. Despite their harsh conditions, they devised ways to keep their minds off their daily trials, such as playing mahjong using expertly crafted tiles.
In 2015, 570 artifacts held by the Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum were inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World International Register. This recognition underscores the museum's importance in preserving and sharing the history of the Japanese internees in Siberia.
Visitors to the museum can also participate in a storytelling tutorial, currently operated by the nonprofit Maizuru Repatriation Storytelling Association. This initiative aims to keep the stories of the internees alive and ensure that their experiences are never forgotten.
Despite its historical significance, the museum has seen a decline in visitor numbers. In its heyday, it attracted over 200,000 visitors yearly, but this number dropped below 100,000 a year in 2010. Nevertheless, the museum continues to stand as a testament to a significant chapter in Japan's history, offering a glimpse into a time that should never be forgotten.
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