2025 marks the 80th year since the end of the Second World War. On the 50th anniversary in 1995, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama announced “the Peace, Friendship and Exchange Initiative, consisting of two parts, promoting: support for historical research into relations in the modern era between Japan and neighbouring countries of Asia and elsewhere [and] to further strengthen the relations of trust between Japan and those countries.” One such initiative was the Pacific Venture programme which saw British grandchildren of former POWs invited to Japan to reconcile their personal conflict history through cultural exchange.

On this special episode of Beyond Japan, Oliver is joined by Mary-Grace Browning MBE who was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun in 2016 for conducting the exchange programme alongside Dr John Pritchard. Mary-Grace shares with us her personal experience of furthering post-conflict reconciliation between the UK and Japan.

IMAGE AND AUDIO CREDITS

Intro-outro music: ⁠jasonszklarek⁠ / ⁠MotionElements.com⁠

[L] Commemoration, Remembrance and Reconciliation through Arts and Heritage logo. A Sainsbury Institute project.

[R] Royal Legion wreath of the Burma Star Association laid at a memorial for the Imperial Japanese Army 60th Infantry Regiment which served in Myanmar. Ryozen Kannon, Kyoto, 2023. Photograph by Oliver Moxham.

Copyright © 2025 Oliver Moxham, ℗ 2025 Oliver Moxham. May be freely distributed for education purposes.