Consul-General Wajima attended the book launch event of ‘Escape from Siberia, Escape from Memory’ at the Polish Community Centre in Calgary, where author Paul Wojdak shared his father’s remarkable story as a Polish orphan following World War I.
Over 100 years ago, Japan rescued more than 760 Polish orphans from starvation in Siberia. With the help of the Japanese government and the Red Cross, the children arrived in Tsuruga, were cared for in Tokyo and Osaka, and after years of shelter, warmth, and love, they began new lives in Poland, the US, and Canada. This beautiful story of compassion still binds Japan and Poland today.
Paul recalled how, as a boy, he had been puzzled that his father could sing the Japanese national anthem. The mystery deepened until Paul, after his father’s passing, embarked on years of research. He eventually discovered that his father had been one of those Polish orphans rescued from Siberia by Japan — a part of his life that Pawel had never spoken of, not even to his family. This journey of discovery revealed not only a hidden chapter of his father’s childhood but also a larger story of kindness that transcends borders and generations.
Consul-General Wajima attended the event and expressed how deeply moved he was by this testament to humanity and cross-cultural compassion.
We thank the Polish community for their warm welcome and for sharing this moment of living history.
