A government-appointed team found the remains of what appear to be 51 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest battlefields of World War II, news reports said Friday.
The remains were found buried in two locations on the island, officially known as Iwoto Island, in sites similar to those indicated on US documents as group burial sites, the Kyodo News agency reported, citing unnamed government sources, DPA reported.
The Japanese team excavated the two locations, which a US document described as an "enemy cemetery," Kyodo reported. It was mainly in dugouts that about 8,700 bodies had been found during previous excavation work.
About 22,000 Japanese soldiers perished on Iwoto Island in the closing days of World War II.
The team was appointed by the administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan to recover the remains of the war dead.