Yes, still more photos from our Japan trip last year. I think I just posted a few of this site before, and here’s a broader set.
The Bando German Prisoner of War camp on the island of Shikoku, Japan. The place was nearly deserted in spring 2019.
German soldiers captured in WWI were kept here under incredibly tolerant conditions. The Japanese camp commander was way ahead of his time (and apparently stubbornly opposed to harsher conditions and constraints proposed by higher command).
The prisoners were allowed to fraternize with locals, hold musical concerts, etc. Some even chose to stay rather than be repatriated when WWI ended.
The area still has strong connections to Germany.
It was interesting to note some Slavic names on some of the monuments — European powers incorporated conscripts from assorted holdings into their ranks.
Some info here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi…/Band%C5%8D_prisoner-of-war_camp
