From Orphan To Midwife: Japanese Woman Raised By Chinese Devotes Life To Help Others

A woman who lost her parents during war and was raised by kind strangers grew up to dedicate her life to helping others. Her journey from a war orphan to a midwife has touched many hearts and highlights the lasting impact of compassion across borders.

The story was shared in the documentary series Beyond Blood and Borders, which aired in December on mainland streaming platforms. The series attracted wide attention and follows the lives of 10 Japanese war orphans who were left behind in China after Japan's defeat in the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1945.

After the war ended, more than 4,000 Japanese children were left destitute in China. Most of these were in the Northeast China and Inner Mongolia regions. Many of these children were adopted by Chinese families and raised as their own.

One of the most emotional stories in the documentary series is that of Xu Yan. She was born Sakura Yamamoto in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. According to reports, her biological father died when his plane was shot down, while her mother died of complications after childbirth.

She was adopted by a Chinese family before she was even a year old. However, when her adoptive father was sent to the military, his wife found it difficult to care for three children. Subsequently, her neighbour, Xu Zhenfu, and his wife took her into their home and raised her as their own daughter.

They named her Xu Yan, which means "swallow," hoping she would become independent and strong.

Since the second adoptive mother lacked much experience raising children, Shu was later sent to live with her grandmother. It was there, in Dalian, a port city in northeast China, that Shu received abundant love and care.

Her grandmother combed her hair, washed her face, cooked her favorite shrimp, and treated her like a family member. Shu also received her education there and grew up with her cousin.

In 1962, Shu went to work as a doctor in a rural area of Shandong Province in eastern China. After completing her medical training at a local hospital, she became a midwife.

She assisted in the birth of many babies and proudly reported that all the newborns she helped deliver were healthy and safe. She believed that her life served a purpose-first, she was saved by the Chinese people, and later, she served Chinese mothers and babies. She considered it a way to repay a favor.

The truth was revealed later in life.

In 1980, Shu returned to Shenyang with her child and began working at a construction company. After retirement, she learned traditional Chinese medicine herself and began treating neighbours.

Only after retirement did she learn that she was a Japanese war orphan. During the war, Japan and China had different vaccination practices, which later made it possible to identify such children.

The Decision to Find Her Identity and Home

While many Japanese war orphans returned to Japan to reunite with their birth families, Shu never tried to find her relatives there. According to the Red Cross Society of China, there were once 120 Japanese war orphans living in Liaoning Province, but now only five remain.

Shu, who considers herself Chinese, says that Dalian, where she lived with her adoptive grandparents, will always be her true home.