Photo credit: www.yahoo.com
TOKYO (AP) — Eighty years ago, on a fateful night, the United States launched a devastating firebombing attack on Tokyo, resulting in the deaths of over 100,000 individuals. The bombing, which utilized conventional weaponry, obliterated large portions of the city, leaving behind streets filled with charred remains.
The destruction caused by this raid was on par with the atomic bombings that would follow in August 1945. However, unlike the survivors of those later events, the victims of the firebombing have yet to receive support from the Japanese government, and this catastrophic episode has largely faded from public consciousness.
As the years pass, elderly survivors are increasingly motivated to share their harrowing experiences and advocate for recognition and assistance. Many are speaking publicly for the first time, aiming to impart the lessons learned from their traumatic past to younger generations.
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Among the survivors is Shizuyo Takeuchi, now 94, who feels a profound responsibility to recount the history she witnessed as a 14-year-old on that tragic night, voicing the stories of those who perished.
On March 10, 1945, a fleet of B-29 bombers targeted Tokyo, releasing incendiary bombs filled with a sticky napalm designed to ignite the wooden and paper homes typical of the densely populated “shitamachi” areas.
Takeuchi and her family had been displaced by an earlier firebombing and were seeking refuge at a relative’s house by the river when the attack occurred. Her father’s decision to venture against the flow of fleeing crowds ultimately saved them. Takeuchi’s memories of the night are haunting, describing a red sky and an overwhelming sense of dread. The images of the dead continue to haunt her, leaving her desensitized after an initial shock.
The firestorm claimed more than 105,000 lives that night, rendering a million others homeless. This toll surpasses even that of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, yet the event has often been overshadowed in historical narratives by the two atomic attacks, and firebombings of other Japanese cities have been even less acknowledged.
The firebombing took place amidst the decline of Japanese military capacity following the United States’ capture of critical Pacific strongholds, allowing unhindered access to Japan’s main islands for the B-29 bombers. Growing impatience among Americans with the war’s duration, compounded by memories of Japanese wartime atrocities, precipitated this extreme military action.
Recording survivors’ voices
Ai Saotome is one such individual striving to preserve the experiences of survivors. After her father, Katsumoto Saotome, passed away in 2022, she inherited a wealth of notes and materials reflecting his life as a firebombing survivor and a dedicated advocate for peace through literacy.
Saotome observes a troubling disconnect; the urgent emotions that fueled her father’s generation appear muted in today’s youth. While her father documented many narratives surrounding the tragedy, going through his materials has provided her a deeper understanding of Japan’s wartime aggression.
In her efforts to honor her father’s legacy, Saotome is digitizing his work at the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, a museum he established in 2002 to educate the public about the firebombing.
“Our generation may not fully grasp the lessons from those who lived through these events, but it’s crucial that we document their stories,” she asserts. “That’s our duty.”
“In about ten years, as memories of this painful past fade, I hope these records will serve as a testament,” Saotome adds.
Demands for financial help
In the years since the war, Japanese authorities have allocated around 60 trillion yen (approximately $405 billion) in support for military veterans and the survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, victims of the firebombing in Tokyo received no compensation.
A group of firebombing survivors met recently to reassert their demands for official recognition and financial assistance, highlighting ongoing neglect of civilian victims. No governmental body has taken responsibility for civilian survivors or maintained their records, and past attempts to claim compensation have been dismissed by Japanese courts.
Yumi Yoshida, who lost her family in the bombing, voiced the urgency of their situation, stating, “This year is our last opportunity,” emphasizing the significance of reaching the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II.
Burnt skin and screams
Reiko Muto, a former nurse who was present during the bombing, recalls the chaos that ensued. She was in her uniform and preparing for her shift when the sirens rang. Rushing to her duties, she found herself carrying infants to safety as smoke filled the hospital.
As civilians flooded into the hospital seeking refuge, many presented with severe burns, their cries for help mingling with the acrid smell of scorched flesh, a sensation that would haunt her for years to come.
With a dire shortage of medical supplies, Muto could do little more than comfort the wounded. Once the war reached its conclusion five months later, her relief was palpable; she could finally return to a life of normalcy and pursue her nursing career.
“What we experienced should never be repeated,” she concludes, a sentiment shared by many committed to ensuring that the lessons of history are not forgotten.
Source
www.yahoo.com