第74話: 副部長の冨美が孤児の Sai Shin'ei の日本における家族の特定を支援する

74

Sai Shin'ei is one of a group of Japanese children orphaned in China during WWII who travel to Japan seeking information about their families. Deputy Director Tomii recalls his happy time as a child in China and thinks he recognises Sai as a childhood friend, but he is mistaken. However, Tomii offers to help Mr Sai find his family he was separated from during a Soviet bombardment of Japanese refugees. He was rescued by the Sai family who raised him as their son. His only recollections are of the landscape of the bay where he played as a child and the taste of "black sashimi" he ate with his family. Tomii asks Yamaoka to find Mr Sai's birthplace within a week before he returns to China. Yamaoka and Kurita believe the place Sai described is near Nagai and when they travel there, Yamaoka recalls that the dark liver of the local kawahagi is eaten raw. He arranges for Sai to try it and he immediately recalls the flavor from his childhood, and that his original family name is Sekimoto. Tomii confirms his name as Koichi Sekimoto and later at the orphan information center, they accidentally encounter Koichi's sister Etsuko who had returned to Japan with other refugees. The brother and sister are tearfully reunited after 40 years apart. (Source: Wikipeida)