Gov't ordered to compensate 61 war-displaced Japanese

The Kobe District Court ordered the government Friday to pay 468.6 million yen in compensation to 61 of 65 war-displaced Japanese who filed a lawsuit over their delayed homecoming from China and poor offers of support in Japan compared with victims of North Korean abduction.

It is the first ruling to admit state responsibility in a series of lawsuits filed by people repatriated from China after World War II, often referred to as "war orphans" in Japanese, following a dismissal by the Osaka District Court in July 2005.

Recognizing the government has neglected its obligation to support them to live independently in Japanese society and comparing its support measures with those for repatriated Japanese victims of North Korean abduction, the judge said, "The support for war orphans to be self-reliant has been quite poor."

The court dismissed four plaintiffs' demands due to a difference in the timing of their return to Japan, saying the 20-year statute of limitations allowing them to claim compensation had expired.