Nipponica

During the fierce ground battles in Okinawa Prefecture in the late stages of World War II, Ie Island, located several kilometers off Okinawa's main island, housed a large airfield built by the Imperial Japanese Army. This was targeted by the U.S. military, turning the island into a horrific battlefield said to epitomize the Battle of Okinawa. Many young children were caught in the crossfire, and two of them, now in their 80s, shared their painful experiences with the Mainichi Shimbun.

No child should ever have to go through this. We need to keep these stories alive to help prevent them from happening again.