Monument in Miyagi Pref. Symbol of Peace Between Japan, Canada; Soliders’ Families Linked for Generations

By Nozomu Asai / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:00 JST, January 7, 2025

KESENNUMA, Miyagi — On a hill overlooking Onagawa Bay in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, stands a monument to a Canadian pilot who was killed in action at the end of the Pacific War in August 1945.

The monument was erected thanks to a former Japanese soldier’s strong wish for peace, and the exchange between his and the pilot’s families continues to this day, transcending generations. A memorial service was organized by the Canadian Embassy in late November last year, and those in attendance from both countries pledged to continue their friendship for many years to come.

The monument, erected on the grounds of the Onagawa Regional Medical Center, has a plaque bearing the name of Lt. Robert Hampton Gray, who was 27 when he died and a member of the Royal Navy. His fighter jet was shot down by the Japanese military during Allied air raids on Onagawa.

The Canadian Embassy proposed the construction of the monument but faced opposition from the families of Japanese victims of the war. The late Yoshio Kanda, who was a signaler in the Onagawa Defense Force and had already built a memorial for his deceased comrades, stood up for the construction project.

“What we hate are not enemy soldiers but war itself,” Kanda said while trying to persuade his comrades’ families to let the monument’s construction go ahead. “War itself is wrong. This is to avoid having a repeat of the war.”

In August 1989, the monument was erected in the town’s Sakiyama Park.

After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the monument fell from its base and the main plaque came loose. It was rebuilt in 2012 at its current location. Memorial services have been held since 2015 in front of the monument, which has become a symbol of friendship and peace between Onagawa and Canada.

On Nov. 26 last year, a total of 25 crew members of the Royal Canadian Navy’s frigate HMCS Ottawa visited Onagawa to attend a memorial service when their ship made a port call at Yokosuka Base. Also at the service were Kanda’s grandson Yoshitake, who is from Sendai, and town officials.

“The monument is filled with both countries’ hopes for peace,” said Yoshitake, who keeps in touch with Gray’s family. They friendship has developed to the point where they visit each other’s country.

When Yoshitake’s parents went missing following the 2011 tsunami, he got a phone call from a member of Gray’s family who told him, “I wanted to hear your voice.” Yositake said their relationship today is like that of relatives.

HMCS Ottawa Commanding Officer Adriano Lozer said his heart ached thinking of the people killed in the war. He added that the people of Onagawa’s cherishing of Lt. Gray and their relationship with Lozer and other military personnel are symbols of peace.

“I want to cherish and protect the peace that the people of that time built and pass it on to the next generation,” said Yoshitake.