KUMAMOTO, Japan - Tran Van Son, a Vietnamese technical intern working at a factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, had recently become a father before he was killed at his workplace during a magnitude 7.1 quake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture on Tuesday.
Son, who had arrived in Japan only a few months earlier, dreamed of building a house for his family back in Vietnam. His elder brother, Tien, who rushed to Kumamoto after hearing the news, described him as hardworking and devoted to his family, lamenting that he "had yet to even meet his son."
A funeral Mass was held Saturday at a church in Kumamoto city, with about 200 colleagues and other mourners in attendance. Prayers were offered in Vietnamese and Japanese, and mourners laid flowers.
Son, who hailed from Ninh Binh Province in northern Vietnam, was known for his cheerful nature and love of fishing from an early age. After marrying, he came to Japan alone as a technical intern to give his family a better life, studying Japanese diligently before his departure.
Son worked at a metal processing plant in Kosa and once told his elder brother, who was working in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, that "work in Japan could be tough" as he initially struggled to adjust to life in a foreign country.
With his honest and gentle personality, Son became well liked by his senior colleagues. He said they often helped him with his work, and he came to find life and work in Japan fulfilling.
After his wife recently gave birth in Vietnam, Son had said, "My child's future has become my motivation for working."
