Mitsubishi Apologizes to American POWs

Japanese corporation Mitsubishi apologized for using American prisoners of war as forced labor during World War II on Sunday. Senior executive Hikaru Kimura issued the apology at a ceremony in Los Angeles, acknowledging that prisoners had been put to work in mines operated by the company’s predecessor, Mitsubishi Mining Co. The company is believed to be the first Japanese firm to apologize to prisoners and acted independently of the government, which expressed remorse to American prisoners five years ago. James Murphy, one of the few surviving former American prisoners forced into labor, accepted the apology. The 94-year-old called it “a glorious day... for 70 years we wanted this.” The apology comes ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war in August.