'If he can't find his parents he can stay with mine and play with my toys': Heartbreaking letter to a tsunami-orphaned boy - 22nd Apr 2011

It is a letter that even the steeliest of people would struggle to find touching.

In fact, it was so touching that when eight-year-old Ashwin Cresswell's letter reached Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, she vowed to hand it to her Japanese counterpart.

Young Ashwin was moved by the story of Toshihito Aisawa, 9, who lost his parents when their car was engulfed by the Japanese tsunami.

A window in the car was smashed by a piece of debris and this provided the boy with an escape route. Sadly his parents did not survive and he also lost his grandmother and cousin in the town of Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture.

His letter said: 'Dear Miss Julia Gillard, my mother said Prime Ministers can talk to other Prime Ministers. Can you please send this letter to the Japanese Prime Minister?

'I do not speak Japanese but I hope you speak Australian.

'I saw a picture of a boy named Toshihito Aisawa in our newspaper. My mother read me his story and she told me that he lost his parents in the Sunami (sic).

'Do you know this boy? Does he have any favourite thing to eat and drink? Does he have a favourite T-shirt? If he doesn't he can boro one of mine.

'If he can't find his parents he can stay with my family. He can also play with my toys and go to school with me. Would Toshihito like to stay with us?' Read More