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David Waddell
For David Waddell's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
LIFE / Travel
Mar 20, 2000
Antarctica without the suffering
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand -- Writing of his experience while exploring Antarctica as a member of the ill-fated Scott expedition, Apsley Cherry-Garrard recalled, "Such extremity of suffering cannot be measured. Madness or death may bring relief. But this I know: We on this journey were already beginning to think of death as a friend. As we groped our way back at night, sleepless, icy and dog-tired in the dark and the wind and the drift, death in a crevasse seemed almost a friendly gift."
LIFE / Travel
Feb 9, 2000
New Zealand lunkers rise to flies
Few places in the world rival the South Island of New Zealand either for superb fly fishing or for stunning scenery, and the Ahuriri River in the Canterbury District is the sort of place every fly-fisherman who hasn't been wants to go to, and where those who have been long to return.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 1999
Net, video help preserve sailor's POW ordeal
Regional correspondent Stanley Willner's wartime odyssey began on Nov. 29, 1942, when the merchant vessel he was serving on was torpedoed by a German raider in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar. He was plucked from the water by the German crew and spent a few months on board his captors' vessel recovering from wounds he sustained during the attack. Eventually he and the other survivors were handed over to the Japanese army in Singapore, and following a brief internment at Changi Prison, he was carted off to the River Kwai in Thailand where he spent the next two years toiling on the notorious Death Railway. Willner, now 79 and residing in Florida, is one of the few living survivors of this dark chapter in wartime history. Thanks to the Internet and a recent documentary video about former prisoners of war titled "No Way Back," his story is being told. Willner's son, Mark, and World War II veteran-turned-video producer Zed Merrill, both of Portland, Ore., were instrumental in bringing the story to life. Mark Willner set up a home page a few months ago that tells of his father's wartime experiences. "I went to see 'Saving Private Ryan' last year and the opening scenes hit me pretty hard emotionally," he said. "I guess that I wanted to do something to bring my dad's words to life, and time is of the essence now that he is elderly." The home page is linked to a Web site chronicling the exploits of the merchant marine in World War II. Merrill's video about merchant marine POWs features Stanley Willner and was released in the United States in August. His previous videos about World War II, "Forgotten Valor" and "The Winter Winds of Hell," were winners of National Telly Awards. "No Way Back" is available via mail order, but Merrill has a national distribution deal with Marathon Video that will expose it to a larger audience. It is also scheduled to be aired on public television next year. Of his most recent work, Merrill, 75, said, "I just wanted to make a contribution in helping tell the story of the merchant marine veterans."Willner's story is a chilling testament of man's inhumanity to man. He recounts how POWs on the Death Railway were forced to work in the tropical heat 14 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of their physical condition. Those unable to work because of illness were beaten. Rations consisted of a handful of rice and a pint of boiled water a day and a bowl of watery soup twice a week, according to Willner. Insects were also eaten as a source of nourishment. Malaria and cholera were rampant and medical supplies nonexistent, he added. During his internment, Willner's weight plummeted from 61 kg to 34 kg. Of the 3,000 men who made up the work camp that he belonged to, only 1,000 survived the ordeal; Willner is now the only living survivor of this group. It is estimated that 150,000 POWs and slave laborers perished during construction of the railway to link Thailand and Burma. To add insult to injury, at the end of the war, Willner and other former merchant seamen were not given veteran status by the U.S. government even though they performed a critical role during the war. It was not until 1988 that they received full benefits -- recognition that Willner fought almost 40 years to obtain. Although many years have passed since his ordeal, Willner says memories of the war still haunt him today. Not surprisingly, he finds it hard to forgive the Japanese for what took place. "As far as I know, they haven't repented one little bit," Willner said. Like many victims of Japanese wartime aggression, the POWs never received an official apology or any compensation from the Japanese government for the abuse they suffered, according to Willner. In 1976, Willner attended a march of forgiveness at the River Kwai organized by Takashi Nagase, who served as an interpreter for Japan's military police on the Death Railway. But when it came time to cross the bridge in a symbolic gesture of reconciliation, Willner recalled the many men who died on the railway and found himself unwilling to participate. As a result of the reunion, however, he formed a bond with Nagase and the two have corresponded for many years. "Nagase was the only Japanese who shed a tear at the cemetery at the Kwai reunion in 1976. He seemed concerned," Willner said. Nagase, 81, has made headlines recently for his efforts to erect a temple in Thailand to honor his fallen comrades. For more information, check the Web page at www.usmm.org/links.html
JAPAN
Nov 5, 1999
Incense maker going strong 12 generations into business
Staff writer
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 5, 1999
Jambalaya! Cooking to die for in the Big Easy
A visitor to New Orleans in the early part of this century described the city as "a paradise for gluttons," and considering that the Big Easy has the highest number of restaurants per square kilometer in the United States and its denizens have the lowest life expectancy in the country, it's easy to see why.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 14, 1999
Memphis, where the 'King' still rules
In reference to the legacy of Elvis Presley, Neil Young once sang "The King is dead, but not forgotten."
COMMUNITY
May 23, 1999
Collector's 1,800 lighters like old flames, not for discard pile
KYOTO -- To the average person, a cigarette lighter is just a 100 yen convenience store item to be tossed in the garbage when the fuel runs out.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 17, 1999
Exxon Valdez damage lingers, 10 years on
Ten years ago, March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef south of Valdez, Alaska, precipitating the largest oil spill in North American history and forever altering the image of Prince William Sound as a largely untouched ecosystem.

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A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world