Wataru Kaji


Wataru Kaji or was the nom de guerre for Mitsugi Seguchi, a Japanese writer, literary critic, and political activist.

Biography

Wataru Kaji was born in Kyushu in 1903. He became involved with activism. In January 1936, he fled to China. He arrived in Shanghai, where he married Yuki Ikeda.
While in China, Kaji met Lu Xun, Hu Feng, Xiao Hong. Edgar Snow, and Koji Ariyoshi. In December 1939, Kaji founded the Japanese People's Anti-war Alliance.
circa 1938
and .
Kaji and Ikeda fled Shanghai following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Kaji worked for the Chinese, and re-educated Japanese POWs.
Kaji was kidnapped in 1951 by U.S intelligence, and was held for more than a year.
Wataru Kaji died when he was 79 years old.

Legacy

The Chinese Documentary series "Today In The History Of Anti-Japanese War" dedicated an episode to Kaji.
Wataru Kaji was featured in the "International Friends during the Anti-Japanese War". A show organized by the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The show "features 160 pictures of 39 foreign friends who worked together with the Chinese people and made contributions to China's independence and freedom."