The trip in the footsteps of the Siberian Children took place
The trip in the footsteps of the Siberian Children took place from May 29 to June 4, 2024. (Organizer: Polish Branch of the Fukudenkai Social Welfare Corporation)
A total of 49 people took part in the trip, including 38 people from 16 families of descendants of the Siberian Children.
May 29, 2024
Sightseeing Tokyo
We visited major tourist attractions such as the Meiji Temple and the Imperial Palace.
Visit to the Fukudenkai Social Welfare Corporation
The participants visited Fukudenkai – a facility where Polish children stayed over 100 years ago. The Siberian children then returned to Poland via Tokyo and the group photo was taken on the slope in the garden in Fukudenkai.
During the visit, photos were taken of each descendant family on exactly the same slope as 100 years ago.
The trip participants also gave gifts in the form of toys and sweets to children who are currently staying in Fukudenkai.
Welcome banquet
Fukudenkai organized a welcome party for the tour participants.
In addition to speeches by Fukudenkai, the Polish Ambassador and others, an integration bingo game was organized.
The descendants of the Siberian Children expressed their gratitude and gifts to the Fukudenkai, and also made a surprise performance singing the Japanese anthem Kimigayo, which they had practiced especially for this day.
May 30, 2024
Guided by Professor Eiko Uto, Tsuyoshi Ogasawara and Aoi Murakami from the Fukudenkai History Research Group, the participants visited various facilities in Tokyo where Siberian Children had the opportunity to stay at that time. Koji Takeda, the grandson of Katsuo Takeda, who took care of Polish children in Tokyo over 100 years ago, joined the tour as a special guest.
Catholic Church in Azabu
From August 1, 1920, every Sunday, children and their guardians participated in Sunday mass at 8 a.m. led by priest Turpen, in the Azabu Catholic Church (now still the same church) near the children’s accommodation. They were accompanied by members of the Youth Association of the Catholic Church.
In connection with the visit of the descendants of the Siberian Children to Japan, members of the Azabu Catholic Church celebrated a special mass.
Zojoji Temple
On August 24, 1920, over 50 Polish children were invited by the Zojoji Temple to receive a blessing from the Grand Priest Horio Kanmu (93 years old). The high priest stroked the children’s heads and shook their hands. The descendants visited the sanctuary and took souvenir photos. There is a note written in the diary of the Zojoji Temple at 1:00 p.m., August 24, 1920, that all the children were satisfied and chanted “Arigato” repeatedly and then went to the Mori residence.
Tour participants who visited Zojoji this time were welcomed by the temple’s general manager, Mr. Kobayashi, and were then given a tour of the facility by director Akabane to see the exterior of the main temple, the Tokugawa family tomb, and other sites believed to have been were visited by Polish children 100 years ago.
Keio University
On July 27, 1920, members of the Wagner Society Orchestra organized a “Festival of Music and Dance for Rescued Polish Children” at the Mita campus auditorium of Keio University. Many people took part in the event, including 43 Polish Siberian Children. 8 children were dressed in traditional folk costumes and presented Polish dances.
The ball also included an opera performance by the Polish musician Mr. Stebelski and others.
During this visit, the descendants visited the site of the original Mita campus auditorium and the university museum in the old library.
Ueno Park
After the Sunday service, the children had a nice time visiting the Ueno Zoo and the Imperial House Museum. They were accompanied by members of the Catholic Youth Association. The photo on the left is a photo taken in front of the Aviary at Ueno Zoo. The children who had the opportunity to visit the zoo were very happy.
This time, although it lasted for a short time, the descendants could freely walk around the zoological park.
May 31, 2024
A ceremony commemorating the centenary of the arrival of the Siberian Children in Japan and the unveiling of the relief.
All participants of the trip were present during the event.
Details of the ceremony can be found here.
Reception at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tokyo
All participants of the trip were present.
In addition to commemorating the history of the Siberian Children, a charity banquet was also held in response to the earthquake on the Noto Peninsula that took place on January 1, 2024.
June 1, 2024
Travel on the new Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga and trip to Tsuruga port
The descendants visited the places where their ancestors stayed, and because the weather was good, some participants of the trip even soaked their feet in the Japanese sea.
Visit to the Port of Humanitarianism Museum in Tsuruga
The guides took the participants around the exhibitions located inside the museum in Tsuruga.
Exchange meeting with the Navius Children's Choir
The participants of the trip and the children from the choir sang together “The Tortoise and the Hare” – a song that the Siberian Children sang even after returning to their homeland. Also the Polish folk song “Szła dzieweczka do laseczka” in Japanese and Polish was sung.
The performance was so wonderful that some of the tour participants’ eyes glazed over with emotion.
Memorial reception
The city of Tsuruga and Fukui Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. organized a welcome reception for the tour guests. In addition to interactions between participants and all those involved in the city of Tsuruga, recreational activities were also organized, including a workshop on preparing oboro kombu seaweed led by a specialist craftsman.
June 2, 2024
The trip departed by express train from Tsuruga to Kyoto. The descendants visited places such as Kiyomizu-dera Shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, and the Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion Temple. Then the bus took the tour to Osaka, where the accommodation of the tour was located.
June 3, 2024
Visit to the Japanese Red Cross branch in Osaka
The Japanese Red Cross from the Osaka branch took care of the Siberian Children who arrived in Osaka.
Thanks to this connection, we were able to listen to a lecture by employees of the branch in Osaka and Dr. Kazuo Fujii from the Kansai Center of the Japan-Poland Association on the project of helping orphans in Siberia in Osaka.
We had the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with valuable materials kept at the Osaka branch office, including: with a copy of the list of accepted Siberian Children.
Lunch in the Central Public Hall
The building that the children visited 100 years ago still exists in the Central Public Hall.
During lunch, participants spent time with Professor Nagaoka and members of the Japanese-Polish Society of the Kansai Branch.
Visiting Takamatsu Cathedral in Osaka, (St. Mary's Cathedral and Tamatsukuri Church)
On August 15, 1922, mass was held in the Tamatsukuri and Kawaguchi churches. Empress Teimei gave gifts to the children, and on August 20, a Sunday mass was held at Tamatsukuri Church for the health and prosperity of the Empress.
This prayer was performed in response to the wishes of children and their guardians to express their gratitude for the gifts. The children went to Tamatsukuri Catholic Church with Red Cross flags and flowers.
During trip, the guide was a member of the Catholic Office of the Archdiocese of Osaka Takamatsu, participants visited the church and learned briefly about its history.
Kobe port trip
Under the leadership of prof. Kazuo Fujii, we visited the place from which the children probably set sail for their homeland, as well as the monument commemorating the great Kobe earthquake in 1995.
When the children left the port of Kobe in 1922, they sang the national anthems of Japan and Poland, waved Red Cross flags and said the crosses in Japanese: “Arigato,” “Sayonara” and “Nippon banzai.” Many people said goodbye to them, including Vice President Sakamoto of the Japanese Red Cross, members and employees of the JCK Hospital in Osaka and members of the Catholic Youth Association.
Everyone had tears in their eyes when they said goodbye.
June 4, 2024
A walk around the former nurses' dormitory of the JCK public hospital.
Prof. Nagaoka took the tour participants to the place where shelters for Polish children were located 100 years ago.
Visit to the Tennoji Zoo
On August 14, 1922, after visiting the Tennoji Park and Zoo, Siberian Children paid a visit to the Shitennoji Temple, where they were surprised by the size of the five-story pagoda. They even managed to see an old pond with turtles.
During this trip, the descendants listened to a lecture on the history of the Tennoji Zoo, and then were free to explore the zoo from the inside.
Source: “The Life in Japan of Polish Children from Siberia, 1920 – 1922 Relief Activities by the Japanese Red Cross Society” – September 26, 2023, published by the Fukudenkai Social Welfare Corporation