On the 16th, 50 Chinese bereaved family members filed a complaint with the High People's Court in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, seeking approximately 370,000 yuan in damages per person from 6 Japanese companies. The court will decide whether to accept the case.
The 50 family members of Chinese workers forcibly brought to Japan during World War II filed a complaint seeking compensation from the companies. The plaintiffs are men and women in their 30s to 70s who live in Hebei Province and claim they were forced to perform harsh labor.
The damages sought from the 6 companies include the publication of an apology and contributions toward the construction costs of a memorial. The claim reportedly seeks approximately 370,000 yuan per person, equivalent to about ¥8.6 million.
The companies named as defendants are believed to be IHI, major construction company Taisei Corporation, Sumitomo Metal Mining, 日本鉄鋼鉱業, Kajima, and Japan Cokes Industry (formerly Mitsui Mining). The plaintiffs filed the case with the High People's Court in Shijiazhuang.
In Shijiazhuang, the plaintiffs have held gatherings in front of a memorial, and observers have pointed to the possibility that developments in the case could affect Japan-China relations.