Abstract
In this paper, we examine the motivation of Chinese foster parents for adopting the “Japanese war orphans left in China” as well as the reality of their lives and their feelings toward these orphans. The framework of the Life-Story methodology is employed in the present investigation.
The term “Japanese war orphans left in China” refers to the Japanese children left behind in China as orphans by their parents repatriating to Japan in the aftermath of World War II. Some survived because they were adopted and reared by Chinese foster parents. Almost 90% of these orphans have returned and settled in Japan. In contemporary Japan, however, few people recognize the existence of the Chinese foster parents. The present investigation sheds light on the following aspects concerning these parents: why did they help the children belonging to their enemy country, what are their every-day lives, and what do they feel when they sent the orphans back to Japan.
