Woman from China identified as war-displaced Japanese+

TOKYO, Nov. 19 Kyodo - A Japanese woman left behind in China after World War II was identified Wednesday as Sadako Takahashi from Yamagata Prefecture after she was interviewed with her cousin at the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, a ministry official said.

The successful identification follows a case last year in which another
war-displaced Japanese was identified. It is the first time in four years that
a so-called war orphan has been identified while visiting Japan to find
relatives, the official said.
Takahashi, 73, known by her Chinese name Qin Yongzhen, moved to northeastern
China with her family when she was 8 but her father, mother, younger brother
and younger sister were shot dead during an attempted evacuation to Japan after
the end of the war.
The interview was conducted because a document about a group of Japanese who
emigrated to the region, formerly known as Manchuria, contained a description
of a person resembling Takahashi and her 73-year-old female cousin from
Hokkaido also recognized a photograph of her.
After the interview, Takahashi told reporters, ''I'm glad and feel very warm
inside.''
Takahashi, who has forgotten most of her childhood, also said she would like to
visit her birthplace and to permanently settle in Japan if she is allowed to
bring her six children.
According to the ministry, Takahashi remembered a wooden nameplate in front of
her family home in Japan, as well as the area around the house.
The composition of her family also matched that contained in the document and
her cousin confirmed her identity.