Rhode Island Marks VJ Day; Japanese Wish It Wouldn’t

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island, the only state to celebrate the nation’s World War II victory over Japan, marked VJ Day today with festivities and a growing call to scrap the holiday.

Veterans groups held parades and observances to mark the Japanese surrender in 1945, but members of the Japanese community said they favor abolishing or changing the name of Victory Day, or Victory-Over-Japan Day.

“It is not appropriate,” said Minoru Tamba, Japanese consul general in Boston. “We have to learn lessons from our history. But at the same time, we have to look to the future. The holiday is unfortunate.”

Tamba said he has expressed his concerns to Matthew Smith, Democratic Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, and would meet with Gov. Edward DiPrete if asked.

DiPrete, who traveled to Japan a year ago, has pushed heavily to have Japanese firms set up operations in Rhode Island.

“Relations between Japan and Rhode Island are developing very well,” Tamba said. “But still, you have that strange celebration. I’d like the people of Rhode Island to realize the problem and do something about it.”

He said he did not believe Japanese firms thinking about locating in the state would be put off by the holiday, but he said they would consider it peculiar.

The holiday is celebrated the second Monday of every August, although the U.S. victory over Japan was not official until Aug. 15, 1945.

“I think the other 49 states should be doing it,” said Cappy Dyer, an American Legion member who served in the Pacific during World War II.

“We didn’t start (the war), they did,” he said.