[ Sankei Shimbun May 2, 2003  Follow up article on Japanese Photographs]

He looks like My Father  May 2, 2003
The photo shown in our April 18 newspaper brough forth several replies. Mr. Alfred Weinzierl, A german living in Osaka is searching for relatives. Two families and he met in Osaka city on May 1.

Ms. Michio Ohnishi came to meet Mr. Weinzierl after seeing the photo published previously. It shows several Japanese Army Air Force members. It and several others were supplied by Pacific War researcher Mr. Justin Taylan of New York, who had received them from a US soldier. He then contacted Mr. Weinzierl.

At the meeting another familt was present but more facts have to be ascertained before anything concrete can be said.  Ms. Michio Ohnishi of Mihara City in Osaka prefecture stated that one man in the photo bore an uncanny resemblance to her father. His name was Minoru Takasaki and he was drafted in 1941 at the age of 29. He was sent to China and was later transferred to New Guinea where he died in action sometime in autumn of 1944 during an air raid near Wewak. All that was sent to his family was a box with some seeds in it.

Another point is the watch one man in the photo is wearing. Mr.Takasaki owned a watch shop and the watch the man in the photo is wearing is unlike other watches worn by japanese soldiers. It looks like a watch he owned.

Ms. Ohnishi was 7 at the time her father died and says that her mother would have been very happy to see the photos. Unfortunately, she dide last year. Mr. Weinzierl ia always looking for more information and can be contacted at: info@pacificghosts.com