MAIZURU, October 18. /Dunyo IA/.  Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum in Japan is hosting an exhibition titled “Uzbekistan and Maizuru: From Internment to Cooperation – Strengthening Historical Ties”, dedicated to the history of relations between the two peoples and the fates of Japanese prisoners of war who were in Uzbekistan after World War II, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Exposition was organized within the framework of cooperation between the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Japan and the city of Maizuru, and is open to visitors from June 20^th to October 25^th of this year.

Exhibition introduces visitors to the life of Japanese prisoners of war in Uzbekistan, their relations with the local population and the historical ties that formed between the two nations. The exposition features historical documents, authentic artifacts, photographic and video materials, as well as information about the history and culture of Uzbekistan; visitors can also try on national Uzbek clothing.

Director of the Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum, Yoshihiro Sagane, shared that the institution was founded about 40 years ago and cooperation with Uzbekistan began approximately ten years ago following a visit to Maizuru by Jalil Sultanov, Director of the Museum of Memory of Japanese Interned Persons in Tashkent.

According to Yoshihiro Sagane, contacts between the representatives of the two museums gradually evolved into a closer relationship based on personal communication, mutual respect, and friendship. He also noted that on May 27^th, 2026, an agreement was signed to establish sister-city relations between the Rishtan District of Uzbekistan and the city of Maizuru.

Permanent exposition of the museum already features items reflecting the friendship between Uzbekistan and Maizuru. The current exhibition will run for four months, which, according to the director, is a rarity for such events and allows the general public to learn more about the shared history.

“Our ties began 80 years ago when Japanese prisoners of war were in Uzbekistan. This is a history not only of suffering and sorrow. Even then, the people of Uzbekistan treated the Japanese prisoners with sincerity and goodwill, establishing warm relations with them”, Yoshihiro Sagane emphasized.

He added that today's friendship and cooperation are the result of the humanism and mutual respect demonstrated at that time, expressing joy over the development of relations between the two nations based on a “heart-to-heart” bond.

Every day, the Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum is visited by more than 300 people. The organizers expect that the exhibition will help preserve the shared historical memory, strengthen mutual understanding and friendship, as well as expand the Japanese public's knowledge of the history, culture, and traditions of Uzbekistan.