Brothers reunited in Japan after 60 years apart
Two brothers in their mid-80's have been reunited after spending more than 60 years apart on different continents and speaking different languages.
Japanese-American Minoru Ohye traveled to Kyoto to celebrate his 86th birthday with his brother Hiroshi Kamimura, 84. Both brothers were born in Sacramento, California but became separated after their father died in a fishing accident. They were both temporarily sent to Japan to live with family but their lives quickly went in very different directions.
In Kyoto, the two brothers hugged upon meeting and exchanged gifts: California chocolate for Japanese sake. "If we miss this chance, we may never meet. You never know," said Ohye. "Either he may die, or I may die." ...
After they were separated, Hiroshi was adopted by Japanese parents and went on to become a tax accountant. Even at 84, his hands and face appear soft and tanned, concealing his age. Minoru's story was perhaps more dramatic. He was conscripted and fought with the Japanese Imperial Army at just age 13 and was sent to Siberia when Japan surrendered. He was later returned to his mother in California and even served in the U.S. Army. In fact, it was his military service that offered the brothers their last reunion, when Ohye was stationed on the Korean peninsula in the mid 1950's and made a brief visit to Japan.
