On 19 October 2013 in Shiraoi-cho on Hokkaido, in the presence of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, a statue of Bronislaw Pilsudski was unveiled, followed by a two-day seminar dedicated to the relationship between B. Piłsudski and Japan.
Bronisław Piłsudski (1866–1918), brother of the Marshall of the Republic of Poland, is less well-known and discussed than his brother, however, he was a figure combining acts of independence and scientific life. His ethnographic research is recognized and valued by ethnographers all over the world even today.
In the National Archives in Krakow, there is a collection of photographs and letters connected with Bronisław Piłsudski (1866–1918). The file of documents arrived in Krakow’s Archives together with the records of the National Supervisory Committee, which B. Piłsudski cooperated with. The cluster of documents, press cuttings and photographs from the beginning of the XX century contains, besides political materials, photographs and postcards connected with the stay of B. Piłsudski in Japan (ref. no. 29/645/435). These include a photograph of Piłsudski together with his Japanese hosts and photographic portraits given to Piłsudski with friendly dedications, including a fragment of Japanese poetry. On the 95th anniversary of his death and on the occasion of the unveiling of his statue in Shiraoi-cho on Hokkaido, we would like to present them to you.
