(Photo/Chinanews.com)

On the evening of June 22, two flights carrying 101 Japanese people, all orphaned during the second world war, arrived in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. From there, the group embarked on a "journey of gratitude," the scale of which has never been seen before. They made the trip to visit their foster families, who had cared for them during World War II.

(Photo/Chinanews)

This is not the first time that Japanese orphans fostered in China have come back to visit, nor is the first time such a group has come to Heilongjiang province specifically. In fact, 4,500 Japanese orphans were fostered by families in Heilongjiang's Fangzheng County alone.

(Photo/Chinanews.com)

The year 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan relations. The leader of the group remarked: “The war has left us with an open wound, but because of it we also established the most precious bond with our foster families. We wish to do our bit to strengthen the friendship between China and Japan.”