Dozens gathered in Tokyo this weekend as a Japanese civil group rallied to demand the return of cultural relics looted from China during Japan’s wartime aggression. 🗣️ Organizers called it a step toward “historical reconciliation” between the two nations.
Takakage Fujita, co-leader of the campaign, stressed that many countries are now returning stolen artifacts. “Keeping looted relics normalizes past wrongs,” he said, urging Japan to reflect deeply on its history. The group singled out the University of Tokyo’s museum, which reportedly displays relics plundered from the ancient Bohai Kingdom site in Northeast China during Japan’s occupation in the 1930s–40s.
A student attendee told reporters: “We need to confront this history seriously—restitution is essential.” 📜 The campaign also targets high-profile items, including stone lions at Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine and a Yamagata museum.
With 50+ supporters nationwide, the group vows to keep pressuring institutions and the government. “Returning relics isn’t just about the past—it’s about building trust for the future,” Fujita added. Could this movement spark a new chapter in cross-border dialogue? 🤝
