At 85, Masuo Kobayashi Recalls the Massacre He Saw in Manchuria

Masuo Kobayashi, now 85 and living in Kameino, recounted memories of a massacre he saw as a child in Manchuria after his family joined a state-sponsored settlement group in 1939. Born in Fujimi Town, Nagano Prefecture, he had been chosen for the Manchurian colonization project because of his resilience developed in the harsh local climate. His account reflects the lasting trauma left by violent events on vast Manchurian lands and the sparse remaining traces of those early settlements.