ONLY FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE

In 1939, 19-year-old Miyagawa came to China as a forcibly conscripted soldier with the single aim of serving the Japanese Imperial Army and the emperor.

Miyagawa was later captured by the Chinese Communist army, from which he learned the truth about the war. Since messages were usually blocked from ordinary Japanese soldiers, most of whom did not have much education and were deeply affected by militarism.

The memories of fellow Japanese soldiers cruelly slaughtering Chinese civilians also helped Miyagawa realize that the war was nothing like what they had been told -- the "holy protective war for East Asia".

In 1941 he joined China's "Eighth Route Army", and the alliance of Japanese anti-war activists. The alliance had more than 20 branches across China with 1,200 Japanese members consisting of those who originally opposed war and came to China to fight for peace, converted Japanese soldiers and Japanese immigrants, said Hu Zhenjiang.

However, there were people who regard them as traitors, which Yasuo Mizuno, a leader of the alliance, would never agree.

"Those who made their countrymen suffer are the real criminals. I love Japan. I also love peace and justice. How can an anti-war peace lover be called a traitor?" said Mizuno.