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Documentary Explores Lives of Japanese War Orphans in China

1/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The documentary series Beyond Blood and Borders profiles Xu Yan, a Japanese war orphan raised by Chinese families.
The December release centers on ten Japanese orphans abandoned in China after Japan's 1945 defeat in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Xu Yan was born Sakura Yamamoto in Shenyang, Liaoning province.
Xu Yan's father died in combat.
Xu Yan's mother died after childbirth.

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Story summary

The documentary series Beyond Blood and Borders profiles Xu Yan, a Japanese war orphan raised by Chinese families.
The December release centers on ten Japanese orphans abandoned in China after Japan's 1945 defeat in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Xu Yan was born Sakura Yamamoto in Shenyang, Liaoning province.
Xu Yan's father died in combat.
Xu Yan's mother died after childbirth.