Forgive - Don't Forget (2018) - full transcript

[light instrumental music]

[projector hums]

[Paul] I never really
gave much thought

to my family's past
to its history.

Looking through old film reels

I stumbled upon my
brother Alex's birthday.

My grandfather was there.

My dad as a young man.

It was exciting to see
old footage of my family

and particularly my grandfather.

[light instrumental music]



Actually I'm a
little nervous too

because I've never talked
to my dad before on camera.

It's all right.

[Paul] This is my dad

recorded shortly
before he passed away.

[projector hums]

I wanted to talk to him
about our family's history.

Because of my dad
because of myself

we have become a
military family.

[Paul] My dad was in Vietnam.

I myself joined the Navy.

But it all started
with my grandfather

serving during World War II.

He was one that was on
the flagship Missouri



when the Japanese people
did their final surrender.

[Paul] The Japanese made
their official surrender

aboard the USS Missouri in
Tokyo Bay on September 2 1945.

As they would ask the officers
to pile their swords up

that's where my dad got
three Samurai swords

that we still have.

I think my sons
have them right now.

[light instrumental music]

[Paul] When I was
young the swords

were passed down to
my brothers and I

but over time they ended up
being stored away out of sight.

And just like my
grandfather and my dad did

I packed up my sword and just
let it sit collecting dust.

I mean for a long time I
think it was expected of us

that we would display
the swords on our wall

kind of like a mantle piece
and it just didn't sit right.

It didn't feel good.

These swords they were
the result of somebody

being defeated
humiliated and it just

did not feel right to
put that on display.

[Paul] Because my sword had
been tucked away for years

I hadn't thought much about it.

But talking with my dad
I realized that much like

my own family's history this
sword had a story as well.

As impossible as it
sounds if I were able

to track down my
sword's original owner

and give it back maybe I
could learn that story.

[light instrumental music]

[beeps and phone rings]

Hello do you speak English?

[Woman] No.

No?

Okay.

Is there someone who does?

No?

[beeps]

[Paul] To help me start
the process of trying

to return the sword I
reached out to Brad Bennett

a filmmaker friend of mine.

He's part Japanese and knew
of some possible resources.

[Man] I'm sorry.

You want to bring back what?

We want to give back
a surrendered sword

from World War II
a Japanese sword.

[Man] Oh I see.

[Paul] Brad's grandmother was

kind enough to offer us help.

I came here to this country
in 1960 as a war bride.

I met my husband in
the airman's dormitory

and we did date but
three months was all

and he asked me to marry.

It was very very
difficult when I came here

to this country because I did
not speak much English yet.

My husband's family welcomed me

and made me very comfortable
to be in his home.

This one belonged to someone
in the Navy an officer.

Name I can't say exactly
but Asai Masaaki.

[Paul] Masaaki Asai
the owner of the sword

and former officer
in the Japanese Navy.

We now had a name.

[phone ringing]

[speaking in foreign language]

Yeah as we expected
he doesn't really know

but he knows where
to call and he said

if we send an email
message to them

they will directly send
it to the different

places that they know
so that they can help.

[Woman] Do you happen
to know his specific

[Paul] We spent weeks
making contacts.

Cold calling Japan sending
emails back and forth

and during that time it
started to impress upon me

what returning a sword like
this to Japan would mean.

Not only to people
in Japan and the US

but for my family and
if we could reach them

possibly Masaaki Asai's family.

[Paul] Okay all right well

[Woman] Thank you so much
for your understanding.

I was raised in Japan
and I've been told

that our ancestors'
stuff is so important.

It's really important for
Japanese people to have

their belongings even
from really old time.

Something belonged to
the ancestors like this

very very precious
value to the family yes

definitely because we really
almost worship ancestor.

[light instrumental music]

I think that if our grandfather

realized what we were
doing with the sword

I think that his reaction
would not be a positive one.

I think he was incredibly damaged by
what he saw over there

by just in general war.

But we're two
generations past that

and I feel that we're making
a really good decision here.

I feel like this is
the right thing to do.

I feel like
forgiveness is in order

and should be granted
by both sides.

[birds chirping]

[Paul] We met Jim Darden
author and amateur historian.

His father spent almost
four years in a Japanese

prisoner of war camp.

I don't feel that my dad's
feelings for the Japanese

people was one of
hatred or dislike.

He recognized them
as a wonderful people

just like Americans but
the people he was forced

to be in close confinement with

[Narrator] Lieutenant
Poindexter's riflemen continued to

[Jim] He didn't
like them at all.

It's fair to say that I think.

[Narrator] Finally
became walking skeletons.

Allied forces came
one step closer

to Japan in January of 1944.

But at the same time the
people that were dealing

with them weren't
the people of Japan.

[Interviewer] So
your dad wouldn't care

if the sword was returned?

I don't think he would.

No I don't.

[Paul] I anticipated
a negative reaction

from some of the World
War II veteran's families

I reached out to but most
seemed supportive of the idea.

However there was still
one member of my own family

who I hadn't told
about the project.

I was nervous.

I'm gonna try and return
this sword to the family.

Okay.

This was a symbol of their

this sword it was a
symbol of their aggression

against the rest of the world.

Everybody has his own
opinion about it you know

and I can understand why
you'd want to give this back.

Maybe it's best to do that.

Maybe that will make
things a lot better.

Maybe it'll make a better world.

I don't know.

[light instrumental music]

The sword the
meaning of a sword

it's connected and it's embedded

in the modern trajectory of
Japan as a modern nation state.

And it's completely
different from the meaning

that the sword had in the
previous early modern period

the Tokugawa period so the
sword in the pre modern

period was just a
tools of the warriors.

Later on a marker of
social distinction

become the embodiment
of the military effort

of Japan's against the world.

[plane engines hum]

Talking about World War
II is very difficult

and still politically alive
and talking about World War II

still means to take sides.

[ominous instrumental music]

[guns fire]

[ominous instrumental music]

So I was walking down
the streets of Osaka Japan

with my hands in my
pocket and here this guard

tells me to take my
hands out of my pocket.

And the interpreter
kept arguing with me.

[Translator] You
have no respect

for authority prisoner.

So the major got so excited

and he hit the
desk with his fist.

And he says get all the POWs up

and we're gonna make
an example of him.

And it was unmercifully
the way they treated me.

Nearly every day I had
something else to help fuel

[kicks thud and laughs echo]

my hatred.

It was extremely
brutal from both fronts.

It was brutal for the
United States soldier.

It was brutal for
the Japanese as well.

[plane engine hums]

[plane engine hums]

This whole thing
just had to happen.

Why did it have to happen?

Why did we have to go to war?

Why did we have to fight?

Why did we have to
lose so many people?

What was the point of all of
this destruction and death?

It seemed so meaningless
when it all finished.

[light instrumental music]

Are we forgetting
about World War II?

I'm afraid that probably we are.

The more we think
about those years

the better it would
be for us to make

our own decision for our future.

Just a very complex
event brutal event.

60 million people
died in those years

and something that
we need to remember.

Returning the sword as
difficult as it will be probably

can be the chance for
us to re talk about this

to re engage with
all these issues

a way to build
bridges with the past.

Come to terms with the past.

Make bridges in the present
between two different states

two different cultures like
the United States and Japan.

[Paul] Building a bridge
between two cultures

it seems like a
lot for one sword.

Luckily we had made
progress trying to return it

thanks to the Japanese Ministry

of Health Labor and Welfare.

They had actually identified
Masaaki Asai's family.

But they couldn't give
us their information.

The Ministry agreed
to contact the family

but cautioned us there's no
guarantee we'd get a response.

One of the contacts we made in
our research was Paul Martin.

He's an expert in the
field of Japanese swords

and formerly worked
for the British Museum.

He offered to handle
the logistics of getting

the sword into Japan
so that if the family

was willing to receive it the
sword could be there legally.

In talking with him we found
out we needed some more

information about the sword.

[bell chimes]

I'm a militaria
and a gun dealer

so I buy sell and trade
everything from 500 year old

suits of armor down to
Mussolini's ID book.

Historical artifacts
are what I deal in

not surplus just
historical artifacts.

Japanese swords are just a
fascinating piece of history.

I have owned many hundreds.

I've handled literally
thousands of swords.

The most important
factor with the swords

trying to find someone
who owned it is the tag.

Without this tag it would
be virtually impossible.

There's just no chance unless
it were a famous sword.

[bangs and taps]

Definitely a hand forged
blade and it appears to be

a modern sword made
in the 20th century

probably in the 1930's.

Totally hand made, true
temper lined all the forging

techniques are obvious.

It's a very very very
good quality sword.

The good news is that
this sword is hand forged.

If we could find who this
gentleman is or his family

this sword can legally be
returned or sent to Japan

because this is a
hand made sword.

If this were a machine made
sword as in an arsenal made

blade with no artistic quality

it could not go
back in the country.

They don't allow that.

They only accept true
hand forged blades.

[light instrumental music]

Whether we'd be
able to contact

the sword owner's family
or not I wanted to be able

to take the sword over to
Japan and learn about its place

in Japanese culture directly
from the Japanese people.

[light electronic music]

Put you through.

Paul?

Paul's here with me Paul Ufema.

All right.

[Paul] Hi Paul.

It's a good name right?

[Paul] Yeah it's
great. [laughs]

[Paul Martin] In planning
for our trip we are trying

to figure out whether to
mail the sword to Japan

or bring it with
us on the plane.

Yeah yeah because if you
bring the sword in through

Narita Airport you're gonna
have a lot of problems

because you don't have a
permanent address in Japan.

It's a real nightmare.

Is it?

So if you come in and
you say I've got a sword

because they're
treated like guns.

They take you out
the back of customs

and then they call the police.

Flying out with a
sword seemed like a major

headache but by mailing it
there's no guarantee the sword

would clear customs by the
time we arrived in Japan.

Well we have a couple days
to think about it or one day.

Let's sleep on it.

You know what I mean?

But you want to take
it to the airport?

You feel sold on that right now?

I feel like if a sword
just shows up in Japan

they don't you know a
random sword that's not

licensed or whatever
that it's a piece of art

that they're going to
confiscate it for a while.

[Paul] Can't we just say
that we're shipping a poster?

I mean really?

A poster?

[Paul] Do we have to
say that it's a sword?

Yes.

Why?

'Cause you're going
international and for one

if they found out that
it wasn't the sword.

You're shipping a poster that
weighs as much as a freakin'

sword and when you go
like this and shake it?

You shove it in a tube
and you tape it shut.

[light instrumental music]

[Paul] Though we hadn't heard
from the sword owners family

I was excited to be
traveling to Japan

not only to learn
about the sword itself

but to find out what
returning the sword

would mean to the
people of Japan.

[Announcer] Luggage
and personal items

should be stowed
either overhead.

70 years after the
end of World War II

the sword was going back
to its home country.

Oh so first red flag so
far is that typically

you want all these to be
know and the very first one

we have a restricted article.

We had to check yes
because on the back side

restricted articles hunting
guns, air guns, swords.

They actually say that here

so we're gonna be here
for a little while.

Restricted article.

This is what we were afraid
we might have to deal with

by bringing a sword into
the country with us.

[Cameraman] So
what's going on?

Brad just tried to go outside
and meet with Paul Martin

and security chased him down
and didn't let him go outside.

So we're at a
standstill right now.

[light instrumental music]

Luckily Paul Martin
came to the airport

to straighten everything out.

We were issued a
temporary license

to carry the sword
while in Japan.

After our 13 hour flight
spending nearly three hours

with customs I was happy
we were finally here.

[light instrumental music]

It still doesn't even
feel all that real yet.

Like I still can't
believe I'm totally like

on the other side of the world.

I'm ready.

I'm ready to do this thing.

[light instrumental music]

We headed to Tokyo to meet
our host for the trip Kaz.

One of the things I do
for a living is I train

professional coffee roasters
and baristas in Tokyo

and I do consulting
work for various cafes

and I also produce
music. [laughs]

[light electronic music]

[Paul] Kazu took us to one

of his favorite coffee roasters.

The owner's father
served in the Japanese

Navy during World War II.

The main thing that struck me
while talking with the owner

of this coffee shop
was just how much

his father's sword meant to him.

Even without a blade he still
proudly displayed his sword.

For him the sword remained a
symbol of his family's honor.

If you look at the
history of the sword

in Japan it goes
right back really

to the start of
Japanese civilization.

[Paul] Alex Bennett
in addition to being

a professor is also a major
figure in the world of kendo

a Japanese martial art
closely tied to the sword.

The sword you know it's
always held a special place

as a connection between earth
and heaven in the deities

but it was also used as an
implement to train and forge

your own body and
mind so this is

where the culture
of kendo comes from.

It's not just a sport where you
go out to beat other people.

One of the really important
parts of kendo is it is not

so much a fight with your
opponent as it is a fight

with yourself to rid
yourself of impurities.

[grunting]

Through here like that.

[grunting]

Okay.

[grunting]

[laughs]

He's laughing at me.

[laughs]

Really important part
of kendo is the noise.

[grunting]

Okay looking at me
and you're trying

to knock me back
with your voice.

And the voice is not
coming from your throat.

It's coming from your gut
right the way through so your

whole spirit you're trying
to pour it all over them.

[grunting]

Good.

[grunting]

Oh beautiful.

It's not too bad eh?

First time.

Excellent man.

[Paul] Now it was time for
an actual sparring match.

[light instrumental music]

[grunting]

Wait are you doing it to me?

[Alex] No you're doing
it to him. [laughs]

[Paul] We started
yelling and I'm like

he's going to hit me. [laughs]

Take two.

[grunting]

[light instrumental music]

[grunting]

[light instrumental music]

[grunting]

Okay in the middle
and facing each other.

And come out.

First time to put
gear on to be able

to go through like
that it's brilliant.

It really is.

Thanks.

It was hard.

I mean I'm sweating
puddles right now.

You can't tell.

But I feel like he took
it easy on me at first.

But I felt like he
started to let go

a little bit towards the end.

It wasn't scary because after
he hit me the very first time

it didn't hurt at all.

Usually at the
end of the training

we would all face each
other and circle like this

and we'd through the
bow one more time.

[Paul] How's that?

Beer o'clock.
Beer o'clock.

Beer o'clock. [laughs]

I like the sound of that.

[Alex] Okay.

Kendo was exhausting.

[grunting]

But it gave me a sense
of one of the ways

the Japanese sword is still
a part of the culture today.

That night we hopped on the
bullet train to visit Tobi

one of the exchange students

who helped us back
in the States.

[light instrumental music]

Okay then twice so as
you're doing it and then

Yeah.

Is that like a common
thing or is that old school

or what is that?

I mean is that something
I should be doing at all?

Well you don't have to
because you're not Japanese.

It's something that like
Japanese people have to do.

It's not like
obligated to do it.

[Paul] It's just out of
respect for the person?

[Toby] Respect yeah.

Would anybody be
weirded out if I did it?

I can't speak for
Japanese or not Japanese

but if I did it would they
think that was nice of me

to do or would they be
like oh he's trying

It's nice of you to do it.

[Paul] Okay.

[Tobi] That would be
really beautiful I think.

[Paul] Okay okay
very good to know.

[light instrumental music]

Well this is a
typical Japanese shrine.

I don't know how old it is but
it have been over 100 years.

Like is this
gonna hurt my ears?

Many of these bells the
bonsho were actually

taken from temples and
shrines during World War II

and melted down for scrap metal
to help with the war effort.

Since then most of the
bells have been replaced

and bonsho have come to
symbolize world peace.

That was really cool.

That was loud.

I wanted to give it a try.

It was really light weight.

I mean it was hard at all
but it didn't hurt my ears

but it was just cool.

When Japan was occupied

the occupation force and
the General MacArthur.

They directed all the
samurai family members

to turn in those swords.

The government doesn't
want the ordinary people

to keep their weapons
either gun or sword.

At the same time sword
with some Japanese families

still have special meaning.

The person who owned the sword

their daily life was very calm

until they feel
the real physical

pressure from the U.S. forces.

They started preparing
for the invasion.

They have no idea
about how strong

the U.S. navy was at that time.

[guns firing]

[plane buzzing]

[distant exploding]

The general
consensus was pacific

or World War II was a bad war.

In sharp contrast with
the American culture

which defines it as a good war.

There is a lot of soul
searching after the war.

And the general feeling
was that the military is

or was to blame.

It was the military that
lead Japanese society astray.

It was not a heroic thing for
one to have fought in the war.

Veterans most of them were
very reticent of their

wartime experience even
to their family members.

Because it was
generally not considered

a glorious thing to
have fought in the war.

Even such members who
sacrificed their life for

the country they
are not regarded

as the hero of the country.

[crowds cheering]

[Paul] It's hard to imagine
not having the support

of community like I did
or my grandfather did.

Perhaps the World War II
Japanese war veterans were seen

much in the same way as my
dad coming back from Vietnam.

[light instrumental music]

After a long day of traveling

we finally return to
Kaz's place in Tokyo.

Kaz wanted to introduce us
to some coffeehouse owner

friends of his who were
interested in our project.

The owners offered to
take us out to dinner

and we were more than happy
to take them up on it.

Cheers.

Cheers.

[Paul] They started
asking about our documentary

so we talked about some
of the things Yujin

and Admiral Koda brought up.

Do you wish that
the people knew more?

It sounded like the
current generation

didn't give much thought to
what happened in World War II.

That some might be
apathetic to the topic

just because they
weren't taught about it.

[laughing]

Oh what happened?

I don't know.

She just was saying her
belly hurt and she threw up

[Paul] Being away
from my wife and kids

is hard no matter what but
it's even more stressful

when they're 13 hours apart
halfway around the world.

And so at two o'clock
in the morning it was

all four of us in my
bed and I couldn't move.

[laughing]

I couldn't go to sleep and
I had to get up at 5:30.

And you're like Why the
heck is Paul in Tokyo Japan

sipping on a cappuccino
and I'm here

And I'm in here
with puking kids.

[laughing]

Mommy.

Who's that?

Judah and Rhino are both up.

Judah what are you
doing out of bed?

You wanna ask daddy something?

Daddy?

Yes?

How many minutes
are til you get here?

I will see you in five days.

This trip was the longest
I'd been away from

my kids and they were at
those ages where it was hard

to understand what I was doing.

Bye honey.

Alright I love you.

I miss you.

Miss you too babe.

While we were in
Japan we were hoping

we might here something from
the sword owner's family.

There was nothing yet.

However one of the things
we wanted to do here

was to make sure that if
they reached out to us

at some point that
the sword would

be able to stay in the country.

We had a temporary license
to carry the sword during

our trip but it
still needed to be

further authenticated in
what's called a Shinsa process.

Luckily Paul Martin was
guiding us through that.

And while we waited on
the sword's licensing

Paul introduced us
to a couple artisans

to give us some insight into
the Japanese sword itself.

[water running]

It's a shame that there's
like a 1500 year history of

Japanese swords but everyone

focuses on the second world war.

The Japanese sword has
a much more long history

which is much more
fascinating than five years

of the second world war.

So originally swords were
imported from the mainland

from China and Korea.

And these were straight swords.

And eventually a
curve was brought

into the Japanese
sword and perfected.

The early blades were
used for calvary warfare.

Whereas when you get
to the Muromachi Period

it's mass infantry warfare.

Once you move into the Edo
Period and there's relative

peace throughout Japan this
is where lots of the dojos

arise because out of work
samurai started fencing schools.

Sword making goes into
decline post Meiji period.

Samurai are banned from
wearing swords post 1876

and then it becomes
revived as propaganda

with Japan's Imperial
Expansion into Asia.

[Paul] Paul Martin
was excited to be able

to take a closer
look at my sword.

You know it's obviously
made around the time

of the second world war.

Well it looks like somebody's

been practicing with this sword.

I mean it's got lots of
nicks in the cutting edge

and even in the back as well.

So it looks like

Do you know something
that I don't know?

[Paul] My brother had a friend

come over and they
fought with it.

That's what it looks like.

[Paul] While not very noble
my family did contribute

to the sword's history once it

was in my grandfather's
possession.

There was a reason our swords

were hidden for most of my life.

So my best friend Scott and I

had to make a movie
for english class.

We knew where dad kept
the Japanese swords.

And he kept them in
his bedroom closet.

And I knew exactly where
and when he wasn't home

I made sure to grab
a couple of them

one for Scott and one for myself

and we headed out to the woods.

We propped up a video
camera on a log and we had

this whole fight
scene choreographed.

I would go like this with
the sword at this head

he would duck the sword
would go into a tree.

He would do one of these
things I would do one of

these things and I guess I
miscalculated where he was

and my sword felt like it
had gone through butter.

[kid screaming]

He had a mask on so I
couldn't see his expression.

I stabbed him
through the shoulder.

And he took his mask off.

I pulled the sword out
and blood just went

all over the place.

He was in shock.

He started to stumble towards me

and he collapsed into my arms.

And I remember taking his
arm putting it around my

shoulder leading him down
the trail back to the house.

Mom and dad get home.

We're not there cause
we're at the hospital.

There's blood all
over the kitchen

with no explanation whatsoever.

Imagine that.

[laughing]

[Paul] The Japanese
sword mine included

certainly has a rich history.

And to some like the
artisans who are still

crafting them today the
sword isn't just a sword.

But for most people especially
the younger generation

growing up I wondered
how they felt.

I was curious what people
would think if they were

given back a sword
from World War II.

My generation we
haven't seen swords

in our regular living spaces.

Basically they are
artifacts from the past.

I wouldn't say a lack
of interest but certainly

a lack of knowledge and
understanding of the symbolic

significance of a return of
a sword that has this history

and it may be lost on a
lot of the younger people.

Because they really
really have a massive hole

in their knowledge
about the war which is

You know I guess you could
say the Japanese education

was designed not to teach too
much about that kind of thing.

A lot of academics including
myself find the perspective

of history and education
and especially the history

of World War II education
rather problematic.

It's a very linear and
simplified narrative

that really doesn't
talk about for example

the actions of the
Japanese military in fight

with Americans in the
Pacific Islands for example.

Japanese people have
this sense of taboo.

Oh we don't want to
talk about the war.

Let's just forget about the war.

Let's forget about the tragedy.

Let's forget about what Japan

did to all those
Asian countries.

Let's forget about what the
United States did to us.

Let's just say that yes
that was a very expensive

lesson that we had to learn
and let's just put that aside.

That's one of the reasons
people don't necessarily

show interest in swords now
these days in my generation.

Paul I just got an
email from Paul Martin.

He basically said that the sword

did go through
licensing successfully.

I'm such at like

I'm such at odds with it.

Just the fact that staying
here with Paul Martin.

There's just gonna be more
research more time invested

and plus I'm tired and
Kaz is tired of us.

[laughing]

I'm just joking
he's really cool.

But I would want people out
of my house by this point.

[laughing]

No you guys can stay.

It's such a tough
thing to talk about now.

It's like yeah I mean
the ultimate goal is for

the family to get the sword
and I will be very excited

if that goal is accomplished.

But I don't, some of
me wants to keep it.

But definitely if we're
not able to find the family

I will be excited
without hesitation

to bring the sword
back home with me.

[rain falling]

When I had the idea to
return the sword to Japan

there was no guarantee that the

family would even be interested.

It had been nine
months since the

Ministry of Health
Labor and Welfare

notified the family of our
search and still no word.

We had hit a dead end.

And though we were leaving
the sword with Paul Martin

in Japan for the time being
we knew that at this point

getting in touch with the
family probably wouldn't happen.

I was actually feeling
okay with that.

I was starting to form
a connection with it

a connection that
wasn't there before.

If you cannot locate the
family members and you fail

to return this sword
to the family members

if I were you I would bring the

sword back to the United States.

If he can't find
the family it's,

you know it's become
part of history.

How this sword got to you.

You tried to find the family
you couldn't find the family.

You know so maybe you should
keep it in your family

and pass it down
to your children

and tell them the story of your
father and your grandfather.

Sure returning something
to the family is important

but the gesture is what really
matters more than the sword.

[Paul] Trying to return
this sword I got to see

and learn so much about
the Japanese culture

that I didn't know
anything about before.

On a personal
level the sword had

become a bridge
between two countries.

And whether or not it would
find its way into the hands

of its original owner it
meant a lot more to me now

than it had before we
set out on this journey.

[light instrumental music]

So basically this is
a letter we got back

from the Ministry of
Health Labor and Welfare.

So they've been acting
as kind of the liaison

between us and the
family and so we waited

several months for the response.

And so here it is.

Dear Mr. Bennett thank
you for your cooperation

in returning an article left
behind by a Japanese soldier.

We wish to inform you
that we conducted a study

to find the owner of
the service sword.

As a result of this
study we have identified

the original owner of
the sword as the person

provided in the items below.

We would also like to inform
you that the concerned

persons have expressed their
desire to receive the sword.

We therefore request that
you contact them directly

to make arrangements
for its return.

Yeah.

This is awesome.

My word.

So we're going back.

I mean this is incredible.

I mean this is
gonna be a success.

We had received
contact information

from Masaaki's sister
as well as his daughter.

I wish that he was still alive
so we could hear from him

but just the fact that
we're gonna be able

to hand this down to his
kids is really incredible.

Just as the sword was
handed down to me.

So we were on our
way back to Japan.

Back to return a
sword to a family

that hadn't seen it in decades.

I was anxious to find out
about who Masaaki San was

and what the sword meant
to him and his family.

But even more so I was
excited about finally

being able to return my
sword to its rightful place.

A reporter from the Japanese
Broadcast Network NHK

contacted us while
we were stateside.

She wanted to interview me
and asked to accompany us

as we traveled to Seto
to meet with the family.

Well we are
officially on our way

to meet Asai's family which

you know Paul Martin and
I were talking and I was

just telling him about
how nervous I was.

And he was like stop.

He was like they're gonna
be flipping out excited

and they're gonna be so
grateful for what you're doing.

And you don't really
have to even do anything.

And that did make me
feel a little bit better

but you know now that
we're officially on our way

I am nervous.

I mean I have no
idea what to expect.

I have no idea.

I don't know what this is like.

Of course this is the
first I've ever done this.

And not only is it the
first time I've done it

I can't even read about it.

You know what I mean?

So I can't read and read about
other people's experiences

going through
something like this

so this is completely
new to all of us.

Talking with the
family especially

through a translator it
was difficult at first.

But things started to open
up when we talked about

our families and our
connection to the sword.

Things then shifted
to Masaaki San.

This is Miyoko Asai
Masaaki San's sister.

Naomi is Masaaki San's daughter.

Looking through all
these photographs

it was clear to see how
attached Masaaki San

was to his sword and how
important it was to him.

When I was younger
I could only imagine

who must have owned
my sword originally.

But now I could see
him as a real person

with a family just like my own.

The next day we prepared
for a special ceremony.

[Paul's Son] Daddy!

[Paul] Yes?

[Paul's Wife] Drew got
his Halloween costume.

Can you see it?

Alright let me see.

Is that a ninja?

[Paul's Wife] Yep.

Nice.

Yeah we love ninjas here.

[children laughing]

Hey we're returning
the sword this morning.

[Paul's Son] Really?

[Paul's Wife] Today
you're returning it?

Yep yep.

So handle is to the left

cutting edge is toward yourself.

Okay.

You know so that

traditionally you're holding
the sword in such a way

that you can't draw it yourself

and that the dangerous
side is facing you.

And just bow your head and
present the sword like this.

Okay.

What you're actually doing is

offering your neck
and the sword.

So you're putting yourself
in a vulnerable position

which is humility.

I thought I'd be having like
all kinds of mixed emotions

today but like all that's
on my mind right now

seriously and completely
clouding everything else

is don't screw this up
and I'm constant racing

through my mind like
everything that Paul Martin

taught me this morning.

It's so crazy too because
like so much has been done

to accomplish this and it's
even been a couple of years.

And it's all come down
to like five seconds.

Yeah I'm nervous.

[light instrumental music]

It was surreal.

Sitting with Miyoko at
the Asai family alter

finally being able to
return her brother's sword.

Even after spending
so much time in Japan

learning about the sword and
what giving it back might mean

I never could have
anticipated Miyoko's reaction.

It's incredible to believe
that one sword brought

together two families from
opposite sides of the world.

Perhaps now the sword could

be a sign of peace
and forgiveness.

And that the story of
the sword is something

I'd be able to pass
down to my kids.

[light instrumental music]

World War II is not past.

It's not the past at all.

It's still alive and well today.

Forgetting it will produce
even more violence.

Taking responsibility or
making sense of what happened

is the beginning of
making peace with the past

in order to have a future.

[Paul] Returning the
sword to its original owner

I realized it was
more than a sword.

It was a reminder not only
of Japan's cultural history

but of a time when the U.S.
and Japan were locked in war.

Both countries were responsible
for terrible atrocities.

And as important as it is
to remember those things

we also need to be able
to forgive what happened.

As someone said resentment
is like drinking poison

and waiting for the
other person to die.

Because if you're
bitter that bitterness

can take over your life
and it can consume you.

I never was taught
to hate anybody.

I got far enough in life and
I knew I wasn't gonna live

forever and I said I've got
to get rid of this stuff.

I had to forgive.

Forgive don't forget.

Do not forget about
what happened.

Forgive the person.

It's a kind of human connection

a human atonement so to say.

We shall never forget.

[light instrumental music]

A U.S. citizen who's grandfather
fought in World War II

has visited Japan with a special
gift for a Japanese family.

He's reunited them with
a precious heirloom

they thought was lost forever.

The gift has created a
bond between two families

that once stood on
opposite of the conflict.

NHK World's Jun
Yotsumoto has the story.

[Jun] Paul Ufema is Japan
on an unusual mission.

He's trying to bring
closure to a journey

that began in World War II.

Ufema's grandfather
was stationed

on the Marshall
Islands during the war.

After Japan surrendered
he took a sword

that had belonged to
a Japanese soldier.

Ufema decided to try and
track down the original owner.

The sword belonged
to Masaaki Asai.

He was stationed on Wake
Island in the North Pacific

and captured by the Americans.

After his release he returned
home and lived until 1992.

He never found out what
happened to his sword.

Miyoko Asai is Masaaki's sister.

She says she feels that
he can now rest in peace.

[calm music]