Mitsubishi Materials Corp. reached an out-of-court settlement…with three former Chinese laborers forced to work in Japan under harsh conditions during World War II. The settlement…could mark a major turning point…because…[m]ore than 3,700 Chinese workers are said to have been brought to work at the mines operated by that company during World War II…Mitsubishi Materials and the former laborers agreed on two major points. The first…the settlement would seek to serve as "a comprehensive and final resolution" of the issue…[T]he second…the three who signed the agreement would be considered representatives of all those who were forced to work for Mitsubishi Materials…The large number of potential settlement cases could affect the standing of other Japanese companies who face similar lawsuits…Mitsubishi Materials accepted its historical responsibility as the employer, and expressed an apology…[O]ne of the former laborers said, "I am very happy. We continued our efforts for several decades so it was not easy..."…Various groups representing the former workers had filed lawsuits…Five of the six groups agreed…to accept the settlement proposal…[Also refers to Kajima Corp., Nippon Yakin Kogyo Co., and Nishimatsu Construction Co.]