Documentary to Highlight Nisei Heroes of WWII

NHK WORLD-JAPAN and PBS have announced a new documentary “Rescuing the Lost Battalion – The Story behind the ‘Heroes’” scheduled to air on PBS Hawai‘i in August 2018.

The documentary recounts the story behind the 442nd Infantry Regiment of Japanese-American soldiers who rescued a battalion of fellow U.S troops during the latter part of World War II.

A special screening of the documentary will be held on Tuesday, June 5, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i in Honolulu. Thel viewing will be held in conjunction with Gannenmono in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants in Hawai‘i.

Leslie Wilcox, PBS Hawai‘i’s president and CEO, emcee the event. The film director, Yoichiro Sasagawa, will provide commentary and be present for a question-and-answer session following the screening.

“I am honored to bring this important documentary from NHK WORLD-JAPAN to the U.S., enabling viewers to be enlightened by this significant piece of history,” said Sasagawa. “The documentary was completed with the strong support of veterans and their families, as well as many organizations and individuals related to this part of history. By telling the story of the 442nd Infantry Regiment to not only Americans and Japanese, but to young generations around the world, I hope to offer an opportunity for everyone to think about war itself.”

“We are very pleased to co-host this screening with NHK WORLD-JAPAN,” said Wilcox. “This historically important documentary and other NHK WORLD-JAPAN programming are of great interest to our Hawaii viewers. We are honored to work closely on this with the Japan America Society of Hawai‘i, the Nisei Veterans Legacy, and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, and we’re thrilled that this event is part of the Gannenmono celebration.”

This summer, NHK WORLD-JAPAN will also air a two-part program relating to Japanese American residents of Hawai‘i on June 30 and July 7, 2018. The program will examine the lives of local Japanese Americans who have integrated their culture with local traditions during the last 150 years, and continue this lifestyle in Hawai‘i.