From 4-5 August, we attended the wreath laying ceremonies and associated events for the 70th anniversary of The Cowra Breakout. On 5 August, 1944 during World War II, the tragic incident occurred at the Prisoner of War Camp in Cowra; 231 Japanese and 4 Australians were killed.
Mr Murakami, a former Prisoner of War, attended the ceremony this year to pray at both countries’ graves and maintain the friendship between Australia and Japan. During the ceremony, the Japanese Ambassador to Australia, Mr Akimoto, also attended with two messages from Japanese Prime Minister Mr Abe and Foreign Minister Mr Kishida showing their appreciation to Cowra, because Cowra is an iconic place for the friendship between Australia and Japan and the base of the current strategic partnership.
We will strive to support local grassroots relationships between both countries in the future.