Benjamin Sanvictores

In June of 1989, the Philippines-Japan Society conferred upon him the the Honorable Benjamin F. Sanvictores its Medal of Merit for his promotion of Philippines - Japan relations. HIs father was similarly conferred the medal in 1979.

He was one of 27 Filipinos who were sent to Japan in July of 1943 as member of the “Nampo Tokubetsu Ryugakusei” (Special Foreign Students from the Southern Regions), or Nantoku for short. At 15 years old, he was one of the three youngest members of the batch.

References:

1) https://philippinesjapansociety.com/pjff/nantoku-descendants/

2) “From Bataan to Tokyo: Diary of a Filipino Student in Wartime Japan 1943-1944”; p xvi & p xvii; Leocadio de Asis; 1979; Edited with an Introduction by Grant K. Goodman; International Studies, East Asian Series Research Publication, Number Ten; Center for East Asian Studies, The University of Kansas; Library of Congress catalog card number 79-19076

3) https://pjsmedalofmerit.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/benjamin-f-sanvict...

4) The Japan Foundation, Manila; "2016: The Japan Foundation, Manila 20th Anniversary"; p. 23; https://jfmo.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/JFM-BOOKLET_digital.pdf

Photo courtesy of the Philippines Japan Society (PJS); https://pjsmedalofmerit.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/benjamin-f-sanvict...