WWII Japanese Battle Flag Found At New Trier Returned To Family

WINNETKA, IL — A Japanese battle flag from World War II discovered at New Trier High School has been returned to the family of its owner nearly 75 years after his death in the Marshall Islands with the help of the school's Japanese language students, faculty members and a nonprofit organization dedicated to returning personal items taken during war.

The flag was found behind a wall in a mechanical area of New Trier High School in 2015 amid preparations for a construction project alongside pieces of a 1944 newspaper article with a photo captained "to the conquerors." Although it was not known how the flag wound up on campus, it is thought to have been donated to the school by a Trevian veteran who picked it up as a wartime trophy.

Such flags are known as "yosegaki hinomaru" and were given to soldiers by family members with messages of support and meant to provide protection on the battlefield. With research from New Trier and help from the nonprofit Obon Society, the original owner of the flag was identified.

Tokichi Shimizu was an 21-year-old private in the Imperial Japanese Army in 1944 when he was deployed to the Pacific islands after spending time as a border security officer in Manchuria, the students learned. Shimizu was the eldest of six brothers and sisters. Today, his 87-year-old sister and his 90-year-old brother, Teruo, are his last surviving siblings.

When students in New Tier's Japanese language program learned that Shimizu had been found, they wrote him 45 letters, sending photos and offered condolences for his loss. After he responded, the students in Naomi Suzuki's AP Japanese class translated his letter.

"During the 90 years of my life, I have never received letters that moved me so much. Thank you. I want to express my gratitude," Shimizu said, thanking the students for returning the family memento.

"Now, I am 90 years old, I run a small farm, and I am doing well," he wrote. "I pray for the further development of New Trier High School. I also pray for the good health and development/growth of New Trier High School students. On behalf of the Japan War-Bereaved Families Association, I want to give thanks."

"The passion that my students exhibited toward returning the flag, corresponding with the owner's brother, and raising money for Obon Society filled me with tremendous pride," said NTHS faculty member Suzuki. "It was rewarding to see how they connected to this 90-year-old Japanese man in his native language. We were all touched after reading Mr. Shimizu's heartwarming response."

After exchanging messages with Shimizu, New Trier Japanese language students and members of the Japanese Culture Club were inspired to raise more than $1,750 for Obon Society, an Oregon-based nonprofit whose work focuses on reconciliation between families through the return of personal items acquired during wartime. Students sold and onigiri rice balls during lunch periods and $1 tickets for a raffle with the help of gift card donations from local restaurants Torino Ramen, Ao Sushi, Akai Hana, Nobori Sushi, Sea Ranch and Gabutto Burger.

The group's co-founders, Rex and Keiko Ziak, said in an email to the school they were touched by New Trier classes' fundraising efforts and connections made by the students.

"Every penny you earned for us will be spent wisely, and all the money will go towards the return of more Yosegaki Hinomaru to families in Japan," they wrote, thanking the students. "Many more families will benefit from our work thanks to your generous support of our efforts."

Junior Katelin Ambrosino said the Ziaks inspired her to help raise money after seeing how much work they have devoted to the nonprofit and how much happiness their work can bring to families on both sides of the Pacific.

"We got to experience first-hand the joy that Mr. Shimizu felt, as well as the joy we felt from being involved, and I hope that this experience will encourage others to continue to put aside our differences and see how much we all have in common," Ambrosino said.

Senior Bennett Blake said writing and receiving Shimuzu's letter was a truly valuable experience for everyone in the program.

"Being able to write letters in Japanese and then translate the letter we received was an engaging real-world application of our Japanese knowledge," Blake said. "We in the Japanese program are happy to have returned the flag to its rightful owner."

Find out more about the Obon Society