Executives from Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation offered a historic personal apology for the company's use of American prisoners of war as forced laborers during World War Two.
Mitsubishi executive Hikaru Kimura offered a "most remorseful apology" to 94-year-old former prisoner of war James Murphy during a public ceremony Sunday in Los Angeles.
"I listened very carefully to Mr. Kimura's statement of apology, and found it very, very sincere, humble, and revealing. And this happened to be the first time that we've heard those words and they really touch you at the heart of the thing."
Twelve-thousand American prisoners of war were put into forced labor by the Japanese government and private companies
Although the Japanese government has officially apologized for using American POWs as forced laborers, the apology by Mitsubishi is the first ever by a Japanese conglomerate.