Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II recently made a Mie Prefecture man an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire, which we think means he’s some kind of knight now or something. That or “Hand of the Queen” if standard Game of Thrones rules apply.
What did the lucky man, Sir Isao Toji, do to deserve such a distinction? Well, for the past 20 years, Toji has held an annual memorial service for 16 British servicemen who died in Japan as prisoners of war during World War II.
During the war, the servicemen labored in an internment camp in Mie Prefecture, where they were sent to work copper mines; and since 1993, Toji has held a ceremony every year to honor those men, although the exact nature of the ceremony is unclear in Japanese news reports.
At 67 years old, Toji obviously didn’t serve during the war himself, but nevertheless displays remarkable humanity in looking beyond the two countries’ bitter past to honor men who technically died as enemies of Japan.
During the ceremony at the British Embassy in Tokyo, Toji said, “I’m incredibly honored. There were so many people [during the war] that were never able to return home, and I want to connect today’s young people to their memory.”
The world could do with a few more men like you, sir.
Source: NHK
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Pringles Chocolate, but with a Japanese twist, is the snack hack you should be trying right now
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Pringles Chocolate, but with a Japanese twist, is the snack hack you should be trying right now
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso: Behind-the-scenes trivia and secret Easter eggs revealed
New 7-Eleven sandwich goes viral in Japan, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Do different brands of Japanese tofu taste different? We try all the supermarket types to find out
Studio Ghibli reveals real reason why Jiji stops talking at the end of Kiki’s Delivery Service
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Can a downtown Tokyo super sento bathhouse beat a hotel for a one-night stay?
New Japanese KitKats come in sakura flavour, with poetic symbolism for success
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso: Behind-the-scenes trivia and secret Easter eggs revealed
New 7-Eleven sandwich goes viral in Japan, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Do different brands of Japanese tofu taste different? We try all the supermarket types to find out
Studio Ghibli reveals real reason why Jiji stops talking at the end of Kiki’s Delivery Service
McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video]
Can a downtown Tokyo super sento bathhouse beat a hotel for a one-night stay?
Anime film Your Name’s director Makoto Shinkai is immortalized in an asteroid’s name
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Howl’s Moving Castle’s scene-stealing dog is here to clean your home as a plushie mop