The Relationship Between Japan and Poland

In 2019, Japan and Poland celebrated the 100th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. The two nations have continued to enjoy a friendly relationship. While there may not be a single answer as to why these ties are so strong, some historical events have likely contributed to them.

During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Poland was under Imperial Russian control, and many Poles were drafted into the Russian army to fight against Japan. Among the prisoners of war captured by the Japanese were many Polish soldiers who were placed in a separate facility from the Russians in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. Polish prisoners seemed to have enjoyed relatively greater freedom and were even able to walk around outside the camp, allowing them to make friends with local residents.

After Poland's failed uprisings against Russian rule, many Poles were exiled to Siberia to work on the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Harsh conditions, combined with World War I and the Russian Revolution, left hundreds of Polish children orphaned in Siberia.

Although Poland appealed for international assistance, most European nations could not help due to the devastation of World War I and geographical challenges. Japan, however, stepped in — even though the two countries had not yet established formal diplomatic relations.

In 1920, with the cooperation of the Imperial Japanese Army stationed in Siberia and the Japanese Red Cross Society, Japan rescued approximately 765 Polish orphans, transporting them from Vladivostok to Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture. After staying in Japan for up to a year, all the children were safely sent back to Poland.

A Japanese TV drama titled Autumn in Warsaw (ワルシャワの秋), which aired in 2003, was based on this event.

In 2018, a public elementary school in Stara Wieś, Poland, was renamed the Polish Siberian Children Memorial Elementary School (Szkoła Podstawowa im. Polskich Dzieci Syberyjskich w Starej Wsi).

In recent years, after the Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995) and the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011), several Polish cities welcomed Japanese children and hosted them for extended stays.

During World War II, one of the Polish orphans later became a member of the Polish Resistance. When he was pursued by Nazi authorities, he sought refuge at the Japanese Embassy. It is said the embassy convinced the Nazis that he was not an enemy by having him sing the Japanese national anthem and other Japanese songs he had learned during his stay in Japan.

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