Its members included Yoshio Shinozuka, Yasuji Kaneko, Tadayuki Furumi [ja], Shigeru Fujita and Ken Yuasa; the association was disbanded in 2002.
[1] However, a long-term "crime recognition campaign" was imposed at the same time on those soldiers who were believed to have undertaken, supported, and witnessed Japan's numerous and inhumane criminal acts during the war.
Under the authority of the "Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Concerning Punishment of Japanese Troops Who Invaded China" of April 1956, the trials of 45 leading war criminals were undertaken in extraordinary military tribunals set up in Shenyang, Liaoning, and Taiyuan, Shanxi, between June and July.
In 1957 some of these repatriated former war criminals whose sins were forgiven by the Chinese founded the Association of Returnees from China and launched an anti-war, pacifist movement and a campaign for Sino-Japanese friendship.
[3] Due to the aging of its members, the Association of Returnees from China was disbanded as a national organization in 2002 and its work was carried on by the "Continuing the Miracle of Fushun Society" composed of younger activists.