The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Japan, along with the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic and prominent Japanese historians, commemorated yesterday the memory of fallen Czechoslovak legionnaires at a cemetery in Fuchu. This ceremony coincided with Veterans Day, a significant occasion marked annually by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Tokyo through wreath-laying at the memorial dedicated to Czechoslovak legionnaires located on the outskirts of Tokyo.
This year’s commemoration was attended by Czech Ambassador Martin Klučar and Slovak Ambassador Ivan Surkoš, along with leading historians including Susumu Nagaya, emeritus professor at Waseda University; Hiroshi Fukuda, professor at Seijo University; and Taku Shinohara, vice-president of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
The monument in Fuchu honours five Czechoslovak legionnaires who died in Japanese hospitals or on a ship while returning to their homeland during 1918 and 1919. These legionnaires fought against the Bolsheviks in Russia and were warmly received in Japan, where wounded soldiers received treatment. The monument was created by academic painter Pavel Holý from the Military Historical Institute of the Czech Republic.
This annual event serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by Czechoslovak legionnaires and their enduring legacy in both Czech and Japanese history.
