Japanese soldier goes home 63 years later

TOKYO, April 20 (UPI) -- A World War II Japanese soldier returned to Japan Thursday, 63 years after being sent off to fight in eastern Russia and ending up living in Ukraine.

Ishinosuke Uwano, 83, arrived in Tokyo and headed to his hometown of Hirono, 300 miles north, to reunite with the family who still remembers him, The Independent reported.

In 2000, Uwano's family gave up hope of finding him and had him officially declared dead.

But it turns out he ended the war on Sakhalin Island, which was eventually annexed by the Soviet Union and he moved to Ukraine. He married a local woman and had three children, and his eldest son accompanied him to Japan.

Uwano was mobbed by reporters when he arrived in Tokyo, and carefully chose his words.

"I haven't spoken Japanese in 60 years, and first of all I would like to say konnichiwa (hello)," he said.