Japan’s emperor and empress, on a landmark visit to Vietnam, are expected to express their sympathies when they meet Thursday with Vietnamese women abandoned by their Japanese soldier husbands after World War II. Sixteen surviving wives and their children have been invited to meet with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, the emperor’s press secretary, Hatsuhisa Takashima, said Wednesday.
Category: Vietnamese-American
Japan emperor’s Vietnam visit a sign of improved ties
Many Vietnamese women married to Japanese soldiers saw their families split up, but today, the former foes enjoy strong bilateral ties, with … . In this Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 photo, Nguyen Thi Xuan listens next to her daughter Nguyen Thi Phuong, back, during an interview in Hanoi, Vietnam.
War bride still pines for hubby
Hanoi: It’s been more than 60 years since Nguyen Thi Xuan’s husband, a Japanese soldier, left her in Vietnam, but the 94-year-old still sleeps with a body pillow she fashioned from his military uniform. She is one of scores of Vietnamese women who fell in love with soldiers from Japan’s occupying force, going on to carve a life with them at the end of the war.