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A Kyoto citizens' group has erected a "Monument of Apology and Friendship" in the city of Calbayog on the Philippine island of Samar which was occupied by the 16th division (from the Fushimi Ward of Kyoto) of the former Japanese army during the Pacific War. Samar is located just north of the island of Leyte, which is famous for the heavy fighting that took place there during the war. Today, more than 50 years after the close of the war, scars of the battles can still be seen around the island. The monument is praised locally for being the first time the Japanese people have apologized for the war.
The Kyoto-Samar Friendship Association, as citizens of the city of Kyoto from which the 16th army division was dispatched, erected the monument to express their feelings about Japanese actions during the war. Last summer, various activities were conducted to raise money for the project, and negotiations were held with the city of Calbayog fo a site on which to build the monument. The 1.3 meter tall monument, made from locally produced marble and concrete, was completed at the end of last year. The monument is designed to represent citizens from the Philippines and Japan supporting each other, and a plate made of Kiyomizu ceramic bears the inscription, "The citizens of the city of Kyoto apologize for the invasion by the army of the Emperor, and pledge their friendship." in Tagalog, English and Japanese. The city of Calbayog, in support of the monument project, provided a corner (approximately 60 square meters) of the square in front of the city's public offices in the center of the city for the monument site, allowing the monument to be located in a highly visible area. |
