TOKYO – A heartwarming and emotional reunion took place in Tokyo as Toshihiro Mutsuda, now 83 years old, received a cherished memento of his late father, who was tragically killed during World War II. Toshihiro was just five years old when he last saw his father, Shigeyoshi Mutsuda, who was drafted into Japan’s Imperial Army in 1943.
The treasured item that brought tears of joy to Toshihiro’s eyes was a “Yosegaki Hinomaru,” commonly known as a Good Luck Flag, that his father carried to war. This poignant flag bore Shigeyoshi Mutsuda’s name and featured heartfelt signatures from his family, friends, and neighbors, wishing him luck and safe return. The flag was given to him before he embarked on his military service, but he was later reported to have died in Saipan, and his remains were never brought back to his family.
In a miraculous turn of events, the Good Luck Flag, which had been donated in 1994, was on display for 29 years at a U.S. war museum aboard the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas. Its significance remained unknown until earlier this year when the Obon Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to returning similar flags as non-biological remains to the descendants of Japanese servicemembers killed in the war, reached out to the museum.
The search for the rightful owner of the flag began in April when a museum visitor took a photo and sought clarification regarding the description that it had belonged to a “kamikaze” suicide pilot. The moment Shigeyoshi Mutsuda’s grandson saw the photo, he sought help from the Obon Society, which ultimately led to the emotional reunion with Toshihiro Mutsuda and his family.
At the poignant handover ceremony, Steve Banta, the museum director, acknowledged the importance of returning the flag to its rightful home in Japan. With great care and respect, he placed the neatly folded flag into Toshihiro Mutsuda’s hands. Joined by his younger siblings, all wearing cotton gloves to protect the decades-old flag, Toshihiro carefully unfolded it to show the audience.
Filled with gratitude, Toshihiro expressed his desire that wars like the one that took his father’s life should never be fought again, wishing to spare others the same sorrow and separation that his family experienced.
Misako Matsukuchi, the soldier’s daughter, also paid her respects to her late father and expressed her hope that he can finally rest in peace, after nearly 80 years.
Toshihiro Mutsuda fondly remembered his mother, Masae Mutsuda, who had passed away at the age of 102, and how she used to make the long-distance journey from their farming town in Gifu, central Japan, to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine. The shrine serves as a place of remembrance for the 2.5 million war dead, including Shigeyoshi Mutsuda. While Yasukuni Shrine has been a subject of controversy due to its inclusion of convicted war criminals, for the Mutsuda family, it has always been a sacred place to honor the memory of a beloved father and husband.
The poignant ceremony at Yasukuni was a touching and heartfelt moment, uniting the past with the present as the Good Luck Flag returned to its rightful place. For Toshihiro Mutsuda and his siblings, it was like an old love story coming together across the ages. As Toshihiro held the flag on his lap, he felt the weight of not only the physical fabric but also the weight of the memories and emotions that it carried, symbolizing the enduring love and connection with his father.