Brothers Reunited In Japan After 60 Years Apart

Japanese-American Minoru Ohye celebrated his 86th birthday Monday with his only brother after traveling to Japan for a reunion with him. The brothers were born in Sacramento, but sent back to Japan to live with different families after they dad died in a fishing accident. Ohye’s brother, Hiroshi Kamimura, 84, was adopted by a Japanese family and grew up in Kyoto. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, a welfare service organization for U.S. veterans, placed Ohye in the Eskaton Wilson Manor home, which arranged the reunion through their “Thrill of a Lifetime” program. This story immediately reminded me of my own dad’s story. He and his older brother were separated for over 40 years, and finally met again, in 1984 when my dad was able to arrange a trip to China through Hofstra University where he was an associate Dean and professor.