Five school pupils from Aberystwyth have laid flowers at a memorial in Japan commemorating prisoners of war forced to work in a nickel mine during the Second World War.

The pupils attended a ceremony in Yosano, Kyoto Prefecture, on Monday, 26 October, as part of a longstanding exchange programme between the Japanese town and Aberystwyth.

According to Japanese newspaper Kyoto Shimbun, the delegation arrived on Friday, 23 October, and included Aberystwyth Mayor Cllr Emlyn Jones.

The ceremony took place at a memorial established through the efforts of Frank Evans, a former prisoner of war from Aberystwyth who was captured by Japanese forces in Hong Kong during the war. Mr Evans was subsequently transported to Japan and forced to work at the Oeyama Nickel Mine.

After returning to Wales, he spent decades trying to establish where he had been held before eventually revisiting Japan. With the support of the local community, he helped establish a memorial in 1984 honouring fellow prisoners of war who had died and expressing a hope for lasting peace.

His efforts laid the foundations for a friendship between Aberystwyth and Yosano, with reciprocal school exchanges beginning in 1992.

The latest visit is understood to be the fifteenth occasion on which Yosano has welcomed a delegation through the programme.

Kyoto Shimbun reported that Sian Evans, 18, expressed hope that the exchanges would continue to promote peace.

The visiting pupils have also been participating in educational and cultural activities, including visits to Japanese schools and areas of historical, cultural and geographic prominence.

Aberystwyth Town Council formally reaffirmed its friendship with Yosano in 2023, recognising the historical connections established through Mr Evans.

The latest ceremony continues a tradition of remembrance and friendship between the two communities more than 80 years after the end of the war.