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The Ceremony Commemorating the Centenary of the Arrival of the Siberian Children to Japan and Relief Unveiling Ceremony

On May 31, 2024 (Fri.), 11:00 – 13:00, the Fukudenkai Social Welfare Corporation held a Ceremony to Commemorate the Centenary of the Arrival of Siberian Children to Japan, along with the Unveiling of a Commemorative Relief.

A total of 38 descendants of Siberian Children (from 16 families) from Australia, Canada, England, the United States, and Poland attended the ceremony, as well as 20 other distinguished guests from Poland. 

Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado also honored us with her presence, and a total of 250 guests from Poland and Japan attended.

Her Imperial Highness Princess
Hisako Takamado

His Excellency Paweł Milewski, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Japan

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Said Khalifa Al Busaidi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sultanate of Oman together with Mrs Aisha Al Barumi

H.E. Mr. Korkut Güngen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey

Ms.Urszula Osmycka, Director of Polish Institute in Tokyo

Mr Hirobumi Niki, Executive Secretary of the Japan-Poland Friendship Parliamentary League,
House of Representatives

Mr Taisuke Ono, member of the House of Representatives

Mr. Atsushi Seike, President, Japanese Red Cross Society

Mr. Koji Yonezawa, Mayor of Tsuruga City

Mr. Ken Hasebe, Mayor of Shibuya Ward, Tokyo

Mr. Takashi Maruyama, Chairperson of the Shibuya Ward Council

Mr. Manabu Haruta, Vice-Chairman of the Shibuya Ward Council

Members of the Shibuya Ward Coucil – Mr. Takeshi Ito, Ms. Michiru Oka, Ms.Mari Okada, Ms. Miho Okada, Ms. Hiromi Oda, Mr. Takumi Tanaka, Mr. Takeshi Nakamura, Ms. Ai Hoshino, Ms. Sayaka Yagasaki, Mr. Yoshito Yakumaru

 

Ms. Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, Special Representative of the President of Poland for the Three Seas Initiative

Ms Jadwiga Rodowicz-Czechowska, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Japan 

Professor Wiesław Theiss, leading researcher on Siberian Children

Ms. Katarzyna Nowak, Director, Manga Museum of Japanese Art and Technology

Mr. Wojciech Śleszyński,
Director, Sybir Memorial Museum

Mr Witold Kwiatkowski,
County Mayor of Celestynów District

Ms. Elżbieta Osuch, Director, Polish Siberian Children Memorial Elementary School

Mr Krzysztof Radkowski, Director, Special School and Educational Center named after col. Jerzy Strzałkowski in Leszno

 

11:01 Minute of silence (in memory of the late Teruo Matsumoto, a historian who researched the history of the Siberian Children)

11:02 National anthems of Poland and Japan (played on the piano and the shakuhachi flute)

11:07 Welcome speech by the host of the ceremony, President of Fukudenkai- Takaaki Ota

11:17 Speech by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado

11:20　Reading a letter from the Presidential Couple of the Republic of Poland
（The letter was read by Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, Ambassador and Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Poland for the Three Seas Initiative）

“We would like to thank the Social Welfare Corporation Fukudenkai for the invaluable assistance provided to Polish children a century ago and for its contribution for building today’s good Polish-Japanese relations. (...) This history carries an extremely encouraging message: it shows that human kindness and solidarity can bring together and unite peoples even far apart in geographical terms. (...) This is a remarkable work for which our country is still grateful to Japan to this day. ”
Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka
Ambassador and Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Poland for the Three Seas Initiative

11:23　Speech of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Japan, Paweł Milewski

11:26　Speech by the President of the Japanese Red Cross, Atsushi Seike

11:29　Speech by the representative of the Descendants of Siberian Children, Anna Domaradzka

“As we celebrate the centenary since the return of Siberian Children to Poland, we as their descendants, would like to express the gratitude toward citizens of Japan for the following things (...) for the warm welcome to the children and their carers received in the country of cherry blossoms, for their wonderful hospitality and concern for their welfare and health during their stay in Japan. (...) Probably our lives would not have been possible without the help offered to our ancestors back then.”
Anna Domaradzka
Representative of descendants of Siberian Children

11:32　Presentation of official appreciation from the Representative of the Fukudenkai Honorary Committee, Akie Abe

She pass their official gratitude and sincere appreciation to the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Japan from 2008 to 2012, Jadwiga Rodowicz-Czechowska, who rediscovered Fukudenkai; to Professor Wiesław Theiss for his many years of research on the history of the Siberian Children; to the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Japan, Paweł Milewski, for his support and remembrance.

11:55 Cutting of the ribbon

12:02　Unveiling of the commemorative relief

A commemorative relief measuring 3 x 5 meters presenting a group of Siberian Children was installed on the wall of the Fukudenkai Orphanage.

12:05　Photos in front of the commemorative relief

12:13　Toast by the Executive Secretary of the Polish-Japanese Parliamentary Group of the House of Representatives, Hirobumi Niki

After the celebrations, Aleksandra Lenart, carrying the history of Siberian Children into the future, presented gratitude and a gift on behalf of all Descendants to Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado and the President of JRC Atsushi Seike.

At the very end of Ceremonies, a group photo of all the present Descendants of Siberian Children was taken in front of the commemorative relief and on the stairs in Fukudenkai.