Tooi & Masato

This is a story about a Japanese photographer and his journey to discover his roots. As a child, his name was “Tooi”. Born and raised in Thailand, he was suddenly taken to Japan when he has eight years old and became Japanese with the name, “Masato”. The reason was his father had been a “Zanryu Nihonhei”. “Zanryu Nihonhei” were Japanese soldiers who didn’t or couldn’t return to Japan after the war’s end for various reasons. A big reason was Japan’s defeat. It’s believed there were 10,000 across Asia and the former Soviet Union, with 1,000 in Thailand alone. The exact number remains unclear. His father was also among them. When “Masato” was 28, he travelled back to Thailand where he was born. And he remembers his past and words. This is a story about a Japanese photographer and his journey to discover his roots. As a child, his name was “Tooi”. Born and raised in Thailand, he was suddenly taken to Japan when he has eight years old and became Japanese with the name, “Masato”. The reason was his father had been a “Zanryu Nihonhei”. “Zanryu Nihonhei” were Japanese soldiers who didn’t or couldn’t return to Japan after the war’s end for various reasons. A big reason was Japan’s defeat. It’s believed there were 10,000 across Asia and the former Soviet Union, with 1,000 in Thailand alone. The exact number remains unclear. His father was also among them. When “Masato” was 28, he travelled back to Thailand where he was born. And he remembers his past and words. This is a story about a Japanese photographer and his journey to discover his roots. As a child, his name was “Tooi”. Born and raised in Thailand, he was suddenly taken to Japan when he has eight years old and became Japanese with the name, “Masato”. The reason was his father had been a “Zanryu Nihonhei”. “Zanryu Nihonhei” were Japanese soldiers who didn’t or couldn’t return to Japan after the war’s end for various reasons. A big reason was Japan’s defeat. It’s believed there were 10,000 across Asia and the former Soviet Union, with 1,000 in Thailand alone. The exact number remains unclear. His father was also among them. When “Masato” was 28, he travelled back to Thailand where he was born. And he remembers his past and words. This is a story about a Japanese photographer and his journey to discover his roots. As a child, his name was “Tooi”. Born and raised in Thailand, he was suddenly taken to Japan when he has eight years old and became Japanese with the name, “Masato”. The reason was his father had been a “Zanryu Nihonhei”. “Zanryu Nihonhei” were Japanese soldiers who didn’t or couldn’t return to Japan after the war’s end for various reasons. A big reason was Japan’s defeat. It’s believed there were 10,000 across Asia and the former Soviet Union, with 1,000 in Thailand alone. The exact number remains unclear. His father was also among them. When “Masato” was 28, he travelled back to Thailand where he was born. And he remembers his past and words.