Kounen Ujida, the chief priest of at Aburayama Kannon Temple, chants a sutra during a World War II memorial ceremony, in Fukuoka, Japan, June 20, 2026. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
FUKUOKA, Japan — Descendants of U.S. airmen captured and executed in Japan during World War II and the descendants of the Japanese imperial officers who carried out those executions met face to face at a ceremony here recently.
A memorial service honoring those prisoners of war and B-29 Superfortress crewmen who died during bombing missions over Kyushu between June and August 1945 has been held annually at Aburayama Kannon Temple in Fukuoka since 2020.
“I’m deeply moved by the special significance this ceremony holds,” Virsa Perkins, the principal officer at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka, said during the ceremony. “Among us today are family members of former Japanese imperial officers. This is no small thing. I extend my deepest respect to those who have come to this place confronting the pain of the past.”
Among the officers’ descendants was Wataru Satano, son of Osamu Satano, who executed one airman in August 1945. Wataru Satano was accompanied by his son Iku, and cousins Akira Satano and Toru Takei. Katsuya Toji, son of Kentaro Toji, who executed four airmen, also attended the ceremony.
From left, Timothy Francis, Iku Satano, Wataru Satano, Heather Buchanan and Amanda Brown, all descendants of either U.S. airmen or Japanese imperial officers, photographed during a World War II memorial ceremony at Aburayama Kannon Temple in Fukuoka, Japan, June 20, 2026. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
The airmen’s descendants included Heather Buchanan, granddaughter of Charles Samuel Appleby, and her daughter Amanda. Timothy Francis, nephew of airman Frederick Allen Stearns, also attended the ceremony.
“I think it is special that my grandfather Charles and Tim’s uncle Allen are remembered together today, as they were friends,” Buchanan said during the ceremony. “They shared similar values and were both known for their sense of humor. One of the last things my grandfather wrote about was spending time with Allen at a memorial ceremony and a festival on one of their days off.”
Kounen Ujida, the temple’s chief priest, in a sutra chanted the names of all the airmen and burned incense to honor their memories. A jacket Appleby wore during his service was placed on an altar.
Iku Satano pays his respects to the B-29 Superfortress crewmen who died during bombing missions over Kyushu between June and August 1945 and those executed as POWs during a memorial ceremony June 20, 2026, in Fukuoka, Japan. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
Katsuya Toji, son of Kentaro Toji, who executed four airmen, bows his head in prayer during a World War II memorial ceremony at Aburayama Kannon Temple in Fukuoka, Japan, June 20, 2026. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
“While I have spoken today about my grandfather and Allen, we also remember all of these airmen,” Buchanan said. “Each was a son, a brother, a husband, or a friend. Each left behind people who loved them and each deserves to be remembered with honor today. We also remember the Japanese families who experienced loss and hardship. The pain of war touches many lives. Today, I stand here not with anger, but with hope.”
Facing five statues of Buddha, attendees burned incense for the souls of the men Kentaro killed and for the health of their children. The statues originally stood in Kentaro’s garden, but his son donated them to the temple where they were moved last year.
Kentaro was tried as a war criminal and sentenced to death but released after 10 years. While imprisoned, Kentaro wrote many poems about the war, asking if his children would ever meet the children of the men he executed.
Artifacts and offerings rest on an altar during a World War II memorial ceremony at Aburayama Kannon Temple in Fukuoka, Japan, June 20, 2026. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
“Today, before this [statue], my father’s poem has become reality,” Katsuya said during the ceremony. “For the past two years, family members of the victims participated in this service online, but this year you have traveled all the way from the United States to join us here.”
Katsuya spoke about his father’s prison sentence, regrets and hopes for the future.
“The men we remember today survived the crash of their aircraft only to have their lives taken from them. I cannot find words deep enough to express their pain and anguish,” he said. “There’s no true winner in war. Winner and loser alike are all deeply wounded. That is the true nature of war.”
