Clothes made by Nakajima's Chinese foster mother. [Photo: People‘s China]

A goodwill envoy between China and Japan

Nakajima's journey back to Japan was not easy.

About half a year after being adopted by Sun Zhenqin, Nakajima was found by his biological mother who attempted to take him back to Japan. However, Sun and her fellow villagers didn't agree. Each held to their position, so they asked the three-year-old boy to make a choice. Without hesitation, the boy walked toward Sun.

In 1951, the Chinese government started a program to help Japanese nationals to go back to their own country. Nakajima and dozens of other war orphans were asked if they wanted to go. As there was no news about his family and Japan was already such an unfamiliar country to him, Nakajima chose to stay.

In 1955, a Chinese Red Cross delegation visited Japan. Nakajima's biological mother appeared at the welcoming ceremony. She asked members of the Chinese delegation to help find her son. Soon after, Nakajima heard news about his family in Japan. However, he didn't go back immediately – not until 1957, when he was persuaded by his teacher, Liang Jiezhi.

"You may do a lot of work to promote friendship between China and Japan if you go back. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" said Liang. Nakajima took his teacher's advice.

Nakajima first studied at the Yamate Chinese School based in Yokohama. After graduation, he enrolled in Keio University, but he had to drop out because he couldn't afford the fees. He later found a job with the Japan-China Friendship Association, and then became an interpreter until his retirement.

Nakajima's last contact with his foster mother was in 1966, when he visited China with a Japanese delegation. While staying in Tianjin, he made a phone call to Sun Zhenqin. Even though the line wasn't good, he could still hear the distant sound of his foster mother calling his name, Nakajima recalled.

In 1976, he had a chance to visit China again. However, he heard the news that his foster mother had died the year before. He went to Anning in Heilongjiang, where he saw his foster father and his teacher Liang Jiezhi.