Japanese war witnesses speak

A group of Japanese veterans, their relatives and a former Japanese politician began a weeklong visit to Changchun, Jilin province, on Tuesday to promote peace by sharing oral histories of their nation's invasion of China.

"They are all witnesses of the invasion and war. The average age of the six people is 83. The oldest is 93; the youngest is over 70," said Li Suzhen, vice-president of the Sino-Japanese Oral History Association, which organized the tour.

The visit takes place in the week before the anniversary of the Mukden Incident (Sept 18, 1931), drawing attention to the event that sparked Japan's invasion of China. The objective is "to preserve peace and prevent war from happening again", Li said.