Joe Miura lived and died for the Balinese and the independence of Indonesia.

Joe Miura was born on Meiji 20 (1888) at Sendai in Miyagi prefecture. In his twenties, he went to Makkasar (present name, Ujung bandang in the Sulawesi Island ) to run an import shop. Later, he moved to Bali Island and runned a trade company and an carrepairshop at Denpasar , expanding dealers from Jawa to Celebes. In his company, there were no discrimination between Japanese employees and Bali ones. That is why Balese people trusted and respected him, calling him " Big manager Miura ".

On February 9th, 1942, the occupation of Bali Island by the Japanese army began with the landing on the Sanul seashore, where the Dutch army had also landed, by the 23rd base camp team of the 2nd south dispatch fleet. The parachute team of the navy made a surprise attack on the Kuta Airport ( present Bali International Airport ) and occupied it. The two teams joined each other and invaded the town area of Denpasar. Just before making war on, the Dutch army enforced the Japanese citizens living in Indo-China ( present Indonesia ) territories belonging to the Dutch to go back to Japan and so, Joe returned to Japan where his wife lived. However , when the parachute team conducted by the colonel Horiuchi, known as " the divine soldier in the sky " landed on Menado in the northern Celebes Island, the Japanese attack team in Bali hired him as an interpreter and guide of Bali Island. In this way, he landed again on Bali Island as an adviser for the military administration.

In May, 1942, the small Sunda Islands became the area where the navy took charge and the team of Colonel Horiuchi moved in from Menado and started the military administration. Public peace all around Bali Island was obtained again and islanders recovered their composure so well that they came to work with relief. According to the diary of the Colonel Horiuchi, the main reason why the smooth military administration was possible would be that islanders entrusted Japanese civilians to govern the island.

Due to the demand of the army, Mr. Miura constructed a cannery and the army left it to him to remain in charge of it and it was thus named the "Miura Firm".

The administration and the accounting bureau except for the negotiation with the army were all entrusted to Bali people. Many Bali people, who wanted to appeal to the army, gathered around Miura's house. He gave advice to them and regulated problems between the Balese and the army as a substantial civil administrator. In these special circumstances, the trust and the respect of Bali people to Mr. Miura never changed.

Since all Bali Island areas became stable, the military administration was replaced by the civilian one. Because of this change, the number of Japanese people increased, such as trading firm employees and " the southern jobless men " who dreamt of become rich. Mr. Miura had to work so hard that he lost his health and had to return to Japan for treatment. In Japan, he planned the strategy of the Independence of Indonesia with other volunteers.

In December, 1944, when he went back to the island, powerful independent campaign had been developed by Sukarno. Later, he obtained the post of the Secretary General of the Small Sunda Founding Comrade Association and he had a very hard time since that day.

In August, 1945, when all Indonesian people were working together heartily for the independence, the defeat of Japan was announced. Nevertheless, Jyo Miura loved Indonesia and the people there so much that he stayed there to support the Independence of Indonesia. In the name of all the Japanese, he visited hundreds of places in the island and told them that he would stay on the island till the independence of Indonesia became a reality and he asked them for their understanding. Finally, he gathered about 6 hundred inhabitants in the theater and opened his heart to them, saying, "I will kill myself and have myself buried in Bali as " human pole " in order to see the Independence of Indonesia someday.

When he heard that the allied forces would soon invade Bali and take all the Japanese as hostages, he invited the royal families, high-class public servants and his close Indonesian and Japanese friends in his house and held a farewell party. People he had invited were thinking that he would soon be sent to Japan but they could meet him some day.

At dawn of the next day, September 7, he killed himself with a gun. He left a will in which he apologized to Indonesian people for the three years when the Japanese army had occupied the island. He wrote, " It is true that we were always devoting ourselves for our mother country's victory. Nevertheless, we apologize to you Indonesian for giving false information, forcing Japanese policies and compelling you to a difficult cooperation when we had to do so. Besides, he asked the Indonesian to support the Japanese hostages until they went back to Japan safe and sound. He also asked them to respect their dignity, for it is by the words of the Emperor that they decided to obey with no resistance.

It is said that , at the funeral of Mr. Miura, about ten thousands Islanders gathered and when it took place, there was a large attendance.

The invading Australian-Dutch allied forces had to accept the funeral of Mr. Miura who was loved by all the islanders. Since he was a devout Christian, pacifist and not an anti-Dutch person, the demand was allowed with no problem. It was very special that the funeral of the enemy was accepted. It would be because of the philanthropie and trust to which he devoted himself all his life, that Bali people are kinder to the Japanese than any other Asian people.

Making good use of the opportunity of war, Asian countries pushed away the colonialism and achieved their independence. The Japanese military philosophy, " Hakkouichiu " and " Daitouakyouei " were nothing but replacement of the West-European government, I want to emphasize here that many Japanese like Joe Miura hoped the real happiness, working hard to support the independence , and finally died in many places in Asia. I really hope that people tell these stories in many occasions for the sake of eternal friendship. I myself will talk about them so as not to forget that we are one of the Asian people.