Original subtitles

It was believed that there were no movies In color over Japan before 1945.

Until now.

For eight years, the Japanese fought What he believed was a holy war,

It became a fight to the death.

With the original color film, Letters and diaries,

This is his story.

I said to my daughter:Do not cry.

Referring to Fig. Dry your tears now.

Referring to Fig. See your father's exit with a smile.

My dear wife.

eleven The dream ends happily.

Tomorrow, I'm going to throw my Plane against an enemy ship.

When I think of the future, My heart is broken.

For 2600 years, our empire Has never known defeat.

fifteen The key to success Depends on faith in victory.

This old movie In color, July 1937

Shows one of the Sacred holidays in Japan

The Matsuri Tenjin.

Less than 70 years ago The emperor was restored in power

twenty And Japan begins The transformation of an isolated feudal state

twenty-one To gain more power in Asia.

But behind this Race towards modernity,

2. 3 There is a deep fear of The Western domination.

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is now One of the largest cities in the world.

It is the heart of an empire Which already includes Taiwan and Korea.

Shiro Iwata.

At present, Japan should not Enclosed in its own small sphere.

Neither should he stay In its position in the East.

Japan bears the burden of a global mission.

Must go to Lead the world.

Japan is the first Industrialized country in Asia.

In 1937, Nissan launched Your first luxury car

The Datsun 6 cylinders, model 70.

3. 4 There are plans to export First for Australia.

They have a new slogan.

Datsun is the car and the Rising Sun is the flag.

With your newborn Discovery of international position

Japan should also Tackling global problems.

The recent global depression that began with The fall of Wall Street, the United States

Caused widespread poverty And a climate of political extremism.

Tadashi Konuma, son of 22 years of a peasant.

Like us, the peasants, Let's survive

We have to get money from the usurers Which charge very high interest rates.

Those who work Hard to grow rice

Four. Five They can not give up Give yourself the luxury of eating.

Japan is becoming a Country where it is not worth living.

So I am Determined to devote myself to the revolution.

Konuma was part of an extremist group, Blood brothers

And, on a street in Tokyo Kills a government minister.

fifty The procession of Japan with the Parliamentary government begins to deteriorate.

A wave of murders And coup attempts

Reproduces Japanese weapons Military extremists.

Liberal politician Korekiyo Takahashi.

If you talk Of The Bad of the Army,

Military policy draws its swords

Or you point A weapon or threaten you.

When a journalist from Kyushu I wrote something bad about the Army

Threatened to put An airplane on the chart

And said that they were going to bomb her.

While the military are making Stronger in power

Takahashi is killed.

The 18 of March of 1937.

The younger brother of Emp. Hirohito, Prce. Chichibu,

Leaves Japan to Europe.

One of his assistants Records the trip in a color film.

This is the first time That the movie is shown.

The prince's first stop is London

To represent the emperor During the coronation of King George VI.

Allies in World War I,

Japan and Great Britain are Now, imperial rivals in the Far East.

Premier Winston Churchill.

I have written many times In the German rearmament.

Let's have a look at Japan

Here again, a nation Full of dreams of war and conquest

Where all the voices Are silenced by death.

Celebrations include coronation Of a magazine of the Royal Navy in Spithead,

Opposite the Portsmouth coast.

The Imperial Navy of Japan Represented by the Cross. Ashigara.

Com. Tota Ishimaru.

Unless Japan Suspend your expansion policy

Or that the United Kingdom should abandon its Prestige preservation policy

An Anglo-Japanese war It is not a silly dream.

Wake up, town of England.

The time has changed.

You can not follow Doing what they did in the past.

Prince Chichibu Continues his tour of Europe

Like a holiday in Switzerland.

Japan had recently signed An anti-Soviet pact with Nazi Germany.

The Tokyo government orders the prince

Interrupt your vacation, and Meet the new ally of Japan

In September, the prce. Chichibu Arrives in germany

And receives all Honors of their Nazi hosts.

You are invited to attend the Great annual demonstration in Nuremberg

And meet The Nazi leader.

In a reception to the Japanese ambassador

The German people bring the great nation of Japan

His admiration without limits.

I am happy to say that, On the grounds of a spiritual union

The relations between our two nations Have been marked by sincere friendship.

Japan already has its Own fascist party.

Directed by Seigo Nakano.

Hitler is a man of Strength of will and sincerity.

No word that expresses is vulgar.

He is a hero who Defeated Germany up

To execute a new world order.

Japan has to maintain The pact with Germany.

Which shares our frustrations.

Germany wants to control Europe

Japan wants to dominate Asia.

The question is whether To be made by peaceful means

Or by means of war.

China, the neighboring giant Of Japan in Asia.

To protect their interests, Japan Has maintained a military presence here

Since before the First World War.

But now they want more.

In 1931, Chinese troops were attacked

By radical elements of the Japanese army.

They took the province of Manchuria

Against the will of The liberal government in Tokyo.

Colonel Kanji Ishiwara, leader of the rebels.

That the government does what it wants.

The Army will comply with this Sacred mission to save China.

The Last War in Human History approximates.

A gigantic world conflict

Which will be the threshold To a golden age of human culture.

The only option is to move towards a united Asia.

Now, the right-wing military Dominate the government of Tokyo.

In July 1937,

An incident between Japanese troops And Chinese, on the outskirts of Beijing,

Leads to war.

The high command sends reinforcements to China.

Thousands of men between the ages of 20 and 40 Are invited to the competition.

The government promises that The war is going to win in a month.

When I arrived, the band was playing.

And the people shouting "Banzai".

Do not Cry. Cleanse your tears.

See his father's departure with a smile.

I knew that if I show you my tears,

This just It would cause more pain in my husband.

A group of entrepreneurs Japanese do a Tour in Shanghai

Towards the conquest of the new empire.

An event in color film.

The film remained hidden for 65 years.

This is the first time it is displayed.

After almost six months of the war,

Most of East China Is under Japanese rule.

The fight was fierce and brutal.

About 20,000 Japanese soldiers died

And more than 250,000 Chinese.

Journal of the soldier Shiro Azuma.

7,000 prisoners, all in one place.

I think how they became prisoners

Without even trying any resistance?

They looked like a group of homeless people

With blank expressions on their faces.

I felt like an idiot only To think we fought to the death

Against these ignorant slaves.

On December 13, 1937,

It is announced that The Chinese Capital, Nanking, had fallen.

Children from all over Japan were Excused class to celebrate.

Journalist Shingoro Takaishi.

I am proud of our soldiers.

I'm sure they do not To treat civilians so repulsive.

There should be no images showing inhuman acts

Committed by Japanese soldiers

But it is unlikely that What is shown is true.

Tadanobu Kurosu, 19a. Infantry Regiment in China

Reveals a different story.

5,000 prisoners were taken To the Yangtze River (Yellow River),

To be executed by machine guns.

Bayonets were used To finish the job.

I felt a demonic emotion

While climbing on Piles of corpses.

The soldiers were old, young

Women and children.

I've never felt anything like this in my life.

In the censorship of the government of Japan

Avoid any mention Of incidents such as the "Nanking Rape".

For them, war is not a Achievement and yes a release.

May 4, 1938.

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini Is located in Rome.

Italy has just won the Abyssinia and Alemania se anexa a Austria.

All we need now is To Japan to complete the power shaft.

A new world order is forming.

While the Japanese Imperial Army Strives to conquer the vast Chinese territory,

More and more soldiers are Summoned for the fight.

The promise of a victory of rapid evaporation.

The war became a bloody stalemate.

Kunio Nakao wrote to his Friend who has just been summoned.

I beg the gods to Say no going forward.

If so, it will be the end.

If you come back, it will be just bones.

Why sacrifice all these young people?

Especially someone as good as you.

In the enthusiasm for the war, China begins to fade.

October 1938.

The island of Hokkaido, in the north of Japan

The marriage of Chieko Noguchi And Lieutenant Naokichi Okita.

When part naokichi to the front, His wife is pregnant.

Dear Chieko.

Thank you for loving me so much time.

I will participate in the great battle

Of which the destiny of our country depends

I can not wait to get back alive.

Keep calm and work out What happens with the help of their parents.

I hope our baby is born safely.

Chieko, you need to take A good care of himself.

In the country, the government starts

The Spirit Campaign National Mobilization

For all involved In the war effort.

Association of Women of National Defense,

To raise money and Prepare special package items

Soldiers in the front.

The whole nation is at war.

In Physical Education classes, students Have a military background to the practice.

Kikuia Sumita, twelve years old.

This is the time when Japan Needs the full support of his people.

We are responsible for the future of Japan

Since we are the new generation.

We have to live with Strong and bright hearts.

On February 11, 1939,

Students celebrate the Day of the Empire, On the outskirts of Tokyo's Imperial Palace.

The worship of the emperor unites the nation.

He is seen as a living god, Which expects unconditional obedience.

His Imperial Majesty seems to incorporate everything.

That is why He is able to inflame passions.

For Japan, this war is holy.

Wakana Nishihara est.

In England, it is said, "God save the king."

With the help of God, the king rules.

If it does not obey the divine will, The people have the right to overthrow it.

But in Japan, we found that We must die for love of the emperor.

Therefore, no one can Disobey an order to die for Him.

2. 3. 4 The war is already raging in Europe For nine months.

The Nazi "lightning-war", which begins In Poland, has arrived in France.

On the morning of June 23, 1940

Hitler visits a defeated and abandoned Paris.

The rate and degree of Nazi victories in Europe

Convince Japanese leaders To sign the pact with Germany and Italy.

Japanese troops occupy Parts of French Indochina.

Now, the Japanese Empire It functions as a police state.

Full obedience is required.

Any opposition is Brutally repressed by Tokyo,

The Japanese police thought.

Teacher's diary. Jiro Morishita.

By virtue of censorship, we can not Speak openly about the war.

Mr. Kagawa was arrested Under suspicion of treason.

According to the newspaper, he agreed In the changes of the vision and the philosophy.

I can not believe it.

Great Britain and the United States

Provide vital elements for the troops Chinese fighting the Japanese.

it is noted As an act of aggression.

Director of Risuke Kawamura School.

While U.S.A. And England Support China by sending arms

This war will have no end.

Japan did not want to destroy China,

But only to expel the British And Americans.

Japan has few natural resources

And there is no oil for Feed their war machine.

The Western Powers Imposed economic sanctions.

When Japan refuses to Immediately leave China,

The West cuts off oil supplies.

Yoichi Yanagida is a student of Kyoto.

The calls for Army are more intense now.

More than ever, I feel that This is a moment of national emergency.

Every second, it seems You are about to fall into an abyss.

When will this fatal moment come?

September 24, 1941.

The Naval Intelligence Service in Tokyo Sends a secret message to Ag Yoshikawa

Who lives in Pearl Harbor.

Highly secret from this part onwards.

We would like Ship reports.

Especially warships and aircraft carriers,

We need information about the Which are anchored, moored on the pier

And in the shipyards.

The 7 of December of 1941

Japan launches a bold attack.

Aircraft of the fleet of a giant surprise Pacific American fleet at Pearl Harbor.

The attack was filmed in colors. Clyde Daughtry

With your own camera.

Over the past 60 years,

The original colors of this Colorless copy unnoticed.

until now.

This is the first time the color is revealed.

For two hours, They punish American ships.

The attack of Japanese pilots hurt Seriously eight battleships, three cruisers

And several other smaller boats.

Only 29 Japanese aircraft are missing.

More than 2,400 Americans have died.

The news of a great victory, In Pearl Harbor

Was announced this morning.

The new prime minister, General Hideki Tojo.

The key to success It is our faith in victory.

For 2600 years since its founding

Our empire has never known defeat.

It is time for our 100 million Japanese

Sacrifice everything for the good of our country.

Housewife Tei Fujiwara.

I was very surprised by the news.

I gave a tour of our Garden with my baby and screaming

"God, give us faith in our army."

Yoshitaka Kojima, 12, is at school.

We hear the footsteps of our Teacher to come to class.

I was class leader and gave him Order to uplift and revere.

The first thing we talked about was our teacher

"Japan started the war Against the United States and England. "

We were all very excited,

Applauding with joy.

The force that attacked Pearl Harbor Includes five mini-submarines.

Four are destroyed and captured one.

His commander is the first prisoner Of Japanese War.

Flag-bearer Kazuo Sakamaki.

My willingness to Dying or talking.

Becoming a prisoner is inexcusable.

Even without weapons

Use your teeth and fight to the Last breath is the Japanese spirit.

With Japan's plans to The conquest of Asia is already under way,

The British colony of Hong Kong is under attack.

The command of the Royal Navy's fleet in China

Is a symbol of domination To the west in Asia.

Chief of Operations of the 25th Japanese Army

Colonel Masanobu Tsuji.

The next big mission in Japan Is to bear the benefits of freedom

To the natives of South Asia.

For these people, Westerners They are mere armed robbers

While we Japanese are his brothers.

Therefore, we have to keep them submissive.

Japanese forces capture Hong Kong on Christmas day 1941.

There are invasions in the Philippines, Burma

Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

The biggest prize of all is the Point of the peninsula of Malaysia.

The bastion of the British empire in the Far East.

Colonel Masanobu Tsuji by the invading troops.

When you find the enemy

Consider avengers

Finally face to face With the murderers of his parents.

Here, in front of you, is a man whose death

Illuminate their hearts with crushed hatred.

The current war is a clash between races.

We have to get our just demands

No thoughts Of pity for Europeans.

The enemy forces in the port of Singapore were forced to surrender

Japanese forces in Malaysia, at 19:50.

With the capture of Singapore

3. 4. 5 Japan imposes a Humiliating defeat for the British empire.

The Japanese Army submits a British double strength of great.

More than 100,000 British soldiers And the empire of surrender.

Singapore fell.

February 19, 1942.

In another bold attack, the same Forces that attacked Pearl Harbor

Marinos are surprised Of Australian Warfare, in Darwin.

Eight ships sink and More than 240 people die.

The Japanese also started Invasion of the Dutch East Indies.

Your Dreams of Conquest They are imperial.

Six weeks later, after surfing 4000 miles across the Indian Ocean

The same fleet is also surprising The Royal Navy in Colombo, Ceylon.

500 British sailors are killed.

The new Japanese empire now Covers more than a fifth of the world,

Including vital Asia oil fields.

The diary of Sei Ito.

When he hears the military song "Will never leave us"

My heart was beating with emotion.

I was glad of the win.

For us, the Japanese, will be accepted As a first-class nation,

We have no choice but to Fight against the bourgeois Western class.

The high command in Tokyo

That he is convinced that what Left the US fleet in the Pacific

Can be destroyed in a Great and decisive battle.

The place we chose is the small Island of Midway in the Pacific.

On June 4, the Japanese aircraft attack.

Commander of the Combined Fleet, Alm. Isoroku Yamamoto.

In the first year of the war With the United States and England

I will deal with fury and I will win victory after victory.

But then, if the war continues

I have no expectation of success.

Americans broke the Japanese naval code.

This time, they are the Japanese people who are surprised,

When American aircraft Ambush their fleet.

Four Japanese aircraft carriers sink

And more than 300 aircraft are destroyed.

But Radio Tokyo announced A new great victory.

Our attack is punished more Arrogant enemies, USA And England.

Now they are afraid of us.

We must all celebrate this great victory.

The Truth About Midway Defeat

Is not revealed to the Japanese people.

The actual number of victims is not revealed.

For the high command in Tokyo Is a military disaster.

Less than two years after Pearl Harbor,

Is the Japanese Empire Being attacked on all fronts.

The government of Tokyo continues Hid the truth to the Japanese people.

Second Lieutenant Kinpei Matsouka.

War is easy when you're winning,

But it becomes very difficult Become a defensive effort.

I ask the Government, this war Has a certain probability of being won?

Or is the government in a continuous struggle,

With only an empty dream of victory?

On the domestic front, rationing Begins to annoy.

Food shortages even affect Zoo animals in Ueno, Tokyo.

Saburo Fukuda elephant controller.

In the morning, I received a call from my superior.

We were instructed to sacrifice All animals from poisoning.

When news is spread,

The zoo is flooded With letters from children.

I was very surprised by the news.

My mother started to cry.

This war is terrible.

I feel bad to know that Miss. Hanako misses you, the ally

I had to die for our country.

Despite the protests, the Poison the animals

One week after the D-Day, landings in Europe

The North American fleet begins The bombing of the Mariana Islands,

In the Southwest Pacific.

Is Takeo Yamauchi Rooted in the island of Saipan.

The sound is a giant drum Echoing the sea.

It seemed like the screams of the devil in my ears.

If the Mariana Islands are captured,

Japan will reach the Bombers Heavy Americans.

The high command in Tokyo orders the cuts

That defend at all costs

Sarg. Yamauchi. Americans They move like a swarm of locusts.

They are so small crawling on the water.

I saw the flames coming out of The American tanks.

All the coming men Died the first day.

When the reports of the battle come to Tokyo

The Imperial Navy aircraft Received orders to attack the American fleet.

Commander in Chief Alm. Soemu Toyoda.

The rise and fall of imperial Japan

Depends on this battle.

All men must do everything they can.

In the next 48 hours.

More than 400 Japanese and Three aircraft carriers are destroyed.

For the Imperial Navy, it is a disaster.

At the beginning of July,

More than 25,000 soldiers Japanese died in the Marianas.

Finally, you reach the end.

I'm only 26 years old.

I'm glad I fought the enemy, Fulfilling my duty.

Now, I'm going to become a god of war.

It is unfortunate that the demons Americans are treading imperial soil.

I'm going to be a ghost and I will stay on this island

Until the friendly forces Restore the emperor's floor.

12 days later, Taro's visit Is next to your body.

There is more horror before That the Battle of the Marianas will come to an end.

The Survivors of Combat Are crammed into the caves.

Americans treat Code convince them to surrender.

Nurse Shizuko Sugano, 18.

One of our soldiers Brought a US pamphlet

Saying:The war ended in Saipan.

Survivors should Appear with your hands up.

They have fulfilled their obligations.

I think this is a big lie.

We are all going to be crushed by the tanks Or bitten to death by military dogs,

If they are captured by the Americans.

I think it's better to commit suicide.

Although some soldiers Have chosen to surrender,

Most refused.

Hidden among them There are thousands of women and children.

Years of government propaganda About the "Americans of evil"

Leads to a terrible tragedy.

Sergeant Takeo Yamauchi.

Inside the cave, babies wept aloud.

An officer ordered "Make her stop crying."

But it was in vain.

"Kill the babies immediately."

A mother strangled her own baby.

There were no cries of children in the cave.

Only the mother's laments.

Ryoko Okuyama, 14, Witnessed mass suicide.

My mother told us that We would go to a beautiful place.

And we would all do it together.

So, our sergeant threw A hand grenade.

Now, I even died.

But I survived. Just me.

I lost all my family.

More than 13,000 civilians killed During the fighting.

With the fall of the Mariana Islands,

No place in Japan is Safe from American airpower.

No one is safe from war.

The island of Peleliu, in the western Pacific, Is controlled by the Japanese.

The allied advance is less than 2000 miles from Japan

The Japanese are already in War for more than 7 years

And they face the forces China, the British Empire

And U.S.A.

Available on both sides By evil propaganda

The clashes reached New levels of barbarism.

Subten. Shin Hasegawa.

Justice is no longer a Important thing in this war.

All this has led to an explosion of hatred

Among nationalities.

Neither side will stop fighting Before it gets close to self-destruction.

What a pity.

When Americans Free the island of Guam,

Discover evidence Of the Japanese atrocities,

Practiced against the islanders.

Beatrice Emsley, 13, Is a witness.

They dragged my uncle and They took him into the woods.

All I heard was how the girls They were cutting down trees

And yearning for God

And say "I'm dying".

Once finished and everything was quiet,

Came towards us With bloody uniforms.

About 600 people among islanders

Referring to Fig. Were executed by the Japanese

During the occupation.

With the country in danger of invasion,

The Japanese high command adopts A new and desperate tactic.

On November 25, 1944,

A solitary attacker Japanese approaching USSR

Your pilot is part of a new force.

The Kamikaze Special Body Attack.

The Japanese high command

Is convinced that the Attack Kamikaze will break the moral ally

And change the course of the war.

Thousands of young people are Pressured to volunteer

To make the last sacrifice for his country.

Isao Masuo, 23.

Please paralyze me.

I have received a splendid opportunity to die.

The destiny of our country

Depends on the battle Decisive in the South Seas,

Where will fall Like a cherry blossom.

When the crew of a boat USA Tries to rescue a pilot,

He takes out a grenade.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Newspapers and newsletters

Are full of kamikaze feats.

They are seen as the salvation of Japan

Students are trained To attack planes, boats

Humans and even torpedoes.

To help them, a Suicide was created.

When you see a target, Point to a point in the center of the ship.

While you fall, Scream as hard as you can,

"Hissatsu" Kill without fail.

Before the collision, it is essential do not close Your eyes.

You feel like Suddenly it is floating in the air.

At this moment, the face of his mother is seen.

Therefore, it ceases to exist.

A Japanese sailor is torn from the sea.

He is the pilot of a small boat Of wood, loaded with explosives.

While welcomed as heroes at home

In his diaries and private letters, Many kamikaze reveal a different story.

Army Pilot Yoshi Miyagi, 22.

We, the "kamikazes", are nothing more than robots.

If we had the Japanese who really love their country,

We now would not be Before this disaster.

I do know that my death is no longer useful.

Although the "kamikazes" Reaching more than 400 boats

And killing more than 5000 Allied sailors,

The allied advance towards Japan continues.

Haruo Araki, 21.

Dear wife. The dream ended happily.

I'm going to take my Plane against an enemy ship.

I'm going to cross the river to the other world

Taking me some missiles.

When I think about the future, I cut my heart.

At the end of the war,

More than 4000 "kamikazes" flew to death.

The Japanese empire,

Which before extended Vast areas of the Pacific and Asia,

Now is rapidly reducing.

1er. April 1945, the island of Okinawa Is bombed by Americans.

Referring to Fig. It is the first piece of the Japanese soil to be attacked.

To defend the island,

The Japanese high command created a new tactic.

His forces went inward, Hidden in caves and bunkers.

Referring to Fig. Colonel Hiromichi Yahara, 32o. staff officer.

While his troops Landed almost without resistance,

I wonder what The enemy commander is thinking.

I can not help but smile.

It's fun to see the US military.

Attacking like Desperately an unguarded coast,

Like a blind man who lost his stick.

Okinawa is less than 400 miles Of the main islands of Japan

Houses and about 400,000 civilians.

Junko Isa, 14 years old.

When we found out that Americans landed near here,

All, that we were eight, We ran towards the forest.

Then an enemy plane Roared from the sky.

When we look back at the place Everything was on fire.

We could hear people screaming for help.

But little by little, the voices Were disappearing.

That's when we realized That they were dead.

The high command in Tokyo

He is desperate to avoid An invasion of the peninsula.

They are willing to sacrifice Okinawa,

To show Americans How bloody this is.

From his command post on Mount Shuri,

Colonel Yahara notes the Advance of the Americans.

For months, we have built our More powerful fortifications

In the hills to the south.

Here we are going to attract The US forces And defeat them.

After several days of hiking,

Suddenly Americans are advancing Against the Japanese forces.

Emperor Yahara stated that this Battle will decide the future of our nation.

Then comes the glorious News of the death of the Pt. Roosevelt.

We, the official staff, We were euphoric.

We are convinced that now We would certainly win the war.

Referring to Fig. This is Radio Tokyo, Japan

This is the news of the world.

In Okinawa, a fierce close combat Persists in many areas.

Radio Tokyo started a Propaganda service in English,

Directed at US troops.

The inhabitants of the island of Okinawa They oppose in a strong resistance

the invaders.

Even high school girls Throw grenades against US troops.

20,000 citizens of Okinawa

Are called to fight with the Japanese army.

Kikuki Miyagi, a 16-year-old student,

She became a nurse Of an underground hospital.

Wounded soldiers arrive in large numbers.

Some profit members.

Others with no face.

There were men of 20 or 30 years Crying like babies.

Thousands of them.

The devastating power of North America

Begins to force his way Through the Japanese defenses.

Then, on May 8, 1945,

It is announced that Germany surrenders to the Allies.

Colonel Yahara.

Now we realize That we are lost.

There is no point in continuing the war After our royal ally fell.

Our leaders involved in this War seek to preserve their own powers.

Who would not go in despair upon learning

That our soldiers are Dying for the safety of those people?

For the first time in the war,

Thousands of soldiers deny The Japanese surrender.

Japan will never fall into defeat

While there is one Inch of dirt and one person standing.

For the Japanese, no There is unconditional surrender.

While Americans eliminate The last foci of resistance,

Thousands of civilians who were Forced to take refuge in the caves,

Are surrounded by Hell of explosives and napalm.

When there are survivors, They are scared, hungry

And near death.

Kikuko Miyagi is one of the last to come out.

There was a shower of bullets.

The Americans owed To think we were with the soldiers.

AOSA, Nakamoto and Ueki died instantly.

Their bodies fell on me.

Then the fire ceased.

I think Americans They realized that they were firing the girls.

My ten classmates were all dead.

I will never forget.

More than 12,000 Americans And 200,000 Japanese

Died, including a Fourth of the island's civilian population.

This was the most Bloody war in the Pacific.

The only one left is the objective Japan itself.

From the newly captured bases on the islands,

Americans started A new offensive.

The bombings Incendiarion the Japanese cities.

Sawaharu Hashimoto Director of air raid in Tokyo.

Fire coming out of the bombs

It spreads like a magic carpet.

In front of my eyes, There was a real scene from hell.

On both sides of the road, There were people on the fire.

I could not tell if they were men or women.

We were surrounded by a sea of ​​fire.

I ran into my three children and jumped into the river.

People were crying and shouting.

OMG. Please make My family die quickly

In just one air raid on Tokyo,

More than 100,000 People were burned to death.

Americans ended up The air dominion over Japan

The old slow plane Of the Japanese Air Force

Are no match for fighters Americans.

With its unprotected shipping lines

And cut Important fuel supplies,

The Japanese war machine Is almost unable to resist.

Yasuko Ogiwara is a train on the way home.

The sound of an airplane echo to everyone The passengers screaming in fear.

It looked like a wild animal attacking its prey.

People were affected sequentially.

I could feel the heat of the projectiles

To pass near my face.

A middle-aged woman Was murdered in front of me.

Was surrounded by Bodies and pieces of flesh and bones.

The Japanese are surrounded.

US submarines sail at will Pulling the merchant ships, one after another.

With almost no food entering the country,

The Japanese begin to starve.

Despite government censorship,

682. Everyone knows that submarines Americans are winning this war.

We almost do not have Boat available at this time.

Winston Churchill says That we have to eat sand, to survive.

Only now they realize the Terrible enemy that we face.

July 1945.

A mansion on the outskirts of Berlin.

Allied leaders meet to Discuss how to end the war in the Pacific.

They offer an option for the Japanese.

Unconditional Surrender

Or total destruction.

11 days later, none Response from the Japanese

Americans Launch Bombs Atomic bomb in Hiroshima and in Nagasaki.

Makoto Nagai, 10 years old.

There was a terrible air flow and Then a noise like thunder.

The biggest thing I've ever seen. Horrible and beautiful.

It looked like a pillar of fire.

I thought a plane crashed in the sun

One day before the bomb,

Dr. Takashi Nagai said goodbye to his wife and He went to work as usual.

Three days later, he returned home.

I found it quickly.

A divot left in the dark kitchen.

Just your pelvis and Other bones burned by fire.

She was still hot.

I took my wife and put it in a bucket

And carried it to the cemetery.

More than 200,000 people They died instantly.

Thousands of people die later In the months and years that followed.

Ichiro Hatano, 16, Writes in his diary:

The Army did not know That the enemy had a weapon like that?

It was very stupid to think That we could win this war

With bamboo spears.

Our will to fight is gone.

Six days after the bombing of Nagasaki,

A special announcement arrives on the radio.

The divine ruler of Japan, Hirohito,

He will speak to his people.

To our good subjects and faithful ones.

After deep reflection

We have decided to make a statement,

Appealing to an extraordinary measure.

For the first time,

REFERENCES The Japanese hear the voice of their living God.

Without ever mentioning the word surrender,

Which heralds the end of the war.

If we keep fighting,

This will not only result in The destruction of the Japanese nation,

But will also cause Total extinction of human civilization.

So we decided to prepare A great path of peace

Enduring the unbearable.

After listening to the emperor,

Nobody was talking about war.

Everyone had the heart. Shattered, exhausted.

Clearly, there was relief Knowing that they no longer bombed.

But what is left for us?

Homeless families, children without parents.

What is our beloved country now,

Obtained by white men of the west?

After the transmission Of the voice of the emperor,

Orders are shipped through the empire

To lay down arms

And surrender.

Shintaro is one of 41. Infantry Regiment.

I never imagined that the Emperor surrendered so easily.

Officials did not accredit Which Japan could lose.

I have been ordered to burn The colors of the regiment.

I obeyed with tears running down my face.

I just hope that the Enemy treat us kindly.

The housewife Yu Aihara Is worried about her husband.

With the news of the surrender,

I felt my energy of everything The body vanishes.

And then the radio continued the news

And I heard soldiers abroad Would be disarmed and repatriated to Japan

I felt great relief and I spent the whole night praying.

God, please, my husband does not commit suicide.

They spend up to three years without Yu Aihara

Receives news of her husband.

He was assassinated on August 10, Only five days before delivery.

Throughout Asia, the fields The prisoners are released by the allies.

But the 130,000 British soldiers And the Empire, captured in Malaysia

Singapore and Burma were forced Working in deplorable conditions

By his Japanese captors.

Many of the guards were arrested in camps And accused of brutality and murder.

The first Ten. Hiroshi Abe

Sent a unit Construction of the railway.

I really did not do anything wrong.

I only worked there.

We had to work Because we did not have machines.

If an inmate Seems lazy, is beaten.

I really did not know anything On the Geneva Convention.

In my field, 3100 died.

Yoshikichi Kasayama, guard.

We play to beat the Prisoners who worked.

There was a lot to eat

And the instructions say that the Army Is fed first.

What remains for the prisoners.

In this way was much appreciated.

Every day, there were deaths.

There was no time to dig graves.

And when you put several Hundreds of bodies in one place,

Everything is dead with smell.

The stench of death.

Between British soldiers and Those belonging to the empire captured by the Japanese

Almost one in four, more than 29,000

Have died at the end of the war.

Atsugi air base on the outskirts of Tokyo,

Headquarters of Suicidal Squadrons of the Imperial Navy.

The pilots fled, leaving Children and preparing the ground

For the arrival of the US Invaders.

Jorn. Masuo Kato.

There were rumors that members Of the armed body committed suicide

They were hiding in The hills of the region, ready to attack.

People gave instructions To stop fighting until death.

And his reaction was still impossible to predict.

For the first time in its history,

The Japanese face the reality of defeat.

At 2:00 p.m.,

An airplane is approaching.

Lead to new Ruler of Japan, General Douglas MacArthur.

Masuo Kato is waiting on the track.

The supreme commander pauses To look around the sun at the airport

While savoring the moment.

Like a great actor Makes a well planned entry.

Now that the Westerners arrived, how long are you staying?

While following Gen. MacArthur For Yokohama, via Tokyo,

30,000 Japanese soldiers are Ordered on the way.

They are warned to turn back, A sign of respect for the new sovereign.

Ichiro Hatano, 16, Waiting in Tokyo.

The police are giving The orders on the Americans.

Avoid personal contact as much as possible.

If an American starts a conversation Respond calmly.

Women should wear clothing Simple and do not leave it alone.

Living under occupation is more Frightening to be bombed.

Three days later, on September 2, 1945,

Preparations for surrender Officer are on the march.

The responsibility lies with signing About the Japanese Foreign Minister

Japanese leaders tried Avoid liability for surrender.

It was then my duty To execute this final and decisive act.

He was surrounded by enemy observers.

Then came General MacArthur.

It is my sincere hope

And also the hope of all mankind

That from this solemn moment

A better world will emerge Of the blood and the slaughter of the past.

MacArthur Declared that the war is over

And asked us to sign the surrender.

For us the Japanese It is difficult to use the word surrender.

The military Call a ceasefire.

But whatever the name,

The rebirth of Japan depends on your perception

Be surrendered as Result of a defeat.

A holy war is finally over in Japan.

Now, the Japanese will have to endure the occupation.

October 1945.

The British cruiser H.M.S. Swiftsure Arrives in Nagasaki.

Now, you have more than six weeks That Japan officially surrendered.

Allied troops are coming In all major cities.

Naokata Sasaki, university student.

The news came. "They're coming."

What does it look like?

They came on the road to us.

They are coming in jeeps and trucks.

There were glittering images of demons, With horns on their heads.

Stretch your neck Take a look at them.

We were disappointed. There is no horn.

Friends meeting face to face Again in the streets with chocolates.

"They're good people," they said.

But I told him it could not be true.

They have to be lying.

With the fall of the empire,

More than six million Of soldiers and civilians returned home.

Kunimitsu lida has just arrived from Okinawa.

It took us three days to land.

It was the first time in eight Years I was at home.

It is then sprayed on.

In our heads and sleeves.

We were hungry. Clothes Was exchanged for food.

We were all dead of fatigue

And I did not have the strength to speak, even.

Yes my only Husband had returned alive.

I do not care what state he was in.

I prayed he would go back with the kids

and me.

While waiting, I received a press release.

He died in the Philippines.

I cried and I cried.

When my tears have dried,

I decided to be a Father of my three children.

For those returning to Japan

The scars of war They are everywhere.

In Hiroshima and Nagasaki,

Many survivors of atomic bombs

Face a slow death Of pathologies resulting from radiation.

Dr. Michihiko Hachiya.

Patients come as an avalanche.

Most with severe burns.

All severely pathological.

People seemed to be improving. Developing new symptoms.

Many patients are Dying without knowing why.

We are all hopeless.

Senji Yamaguchi, 14 years old.

A terrible pain shook my body,

While nurses I removed the gauze.

Please kill me, he shouted.

There was also a girl in the hospital

Which, like me, had Burns on the face.

If it were not for the scars, She would be a beautiful woman.

The night before discharge, he hanged himself.

I refused to stay Discouraged because of his death.

I swore I'd go back to school.

No matter how many people Laugh at my scars

In the next 50 years,

More than 100 '000 people Will die under the effects of radiation.

By the end of 1945, people Of Japan face an uncertain future.

The rice crop has failed.

Inflation is on the rise.

The black market prevails.

Everywhere, queues for Food spreads.

Yoshitaka Kojima, 16.

Look at the people in Japan defeated.

Wooden clogs on his feet.

The yankee will laugh because We are in such a deplorable state.

Unemployed people everywhere.

Some even died of starvation.

Women who go out in search of food Are attacked, raped or even murdered.

I think we still have More suffering in the future.

The allied force of a series Of integral reforms,

In an attempt to eradicate all Trace of a militarist past of Japan

In schools, old books Are destroyed

And children are taught The benefits of individual freedom and pacifism.

It comes from a new constitution And more democratic.

Women receive the Right to vote for the first time.

In an attempt to rebuild A country destroyed by war,

They all go to work.

On May 3, 1946,

Japanese leaders will Trial for war crimes.

They are accused of waging a war of Assault and commit multiple murders.

Student Takashi Asai

A terrible darkness is passing.

Those of us who believe in Freedom can hardly express joy.

The most important thing for our country

Is to destroy the fanatical militarists.

The punishment for War criminals must be death.

With the closure of the courts War crime in late 1951,

Almost 4,500 Japanese are doomed

Of which almost 1,000 are executed.

The only man who lacked the key Of the court was the divine ruler of Japan

When they occur in the west the frequent Petitions to make the emperor

There are a multitude of letters from the Authorities of the occupying forces.

MacArthur. The illustrious General MacArthur.

In our country, the emperor is above God.

If something happens to your majesty

We lose our sense of our lives.

The emperor made the country go to war

With more power and authority than Hitler.

If this man is allowed Escape from punishment, there is no justice.

If someday His Majesty goes to trial

Many Japanese will have a huge hatred

Against all Americans.

I ask this request in writing with my blood.

With a new cold war looming,

Americans Prefer Not to bring the emperor to trial.

Instead, it is sent to a series Carefully planned tours,

In their devastated nation.

On December 7, 1947,

Arrives in Hiroshima.

There is hope that the emperor will follow

Being a powerful symbol Of the continuity of the past.

Student Sumiyoshi Konokichi

We can not deny that we have High hopes in ancient Japan

But the fact is that the militarists They totally ignore reality.

Japan was closed and I was afraid Of the outside world.

We have to create a new Nation from the ashes of the old.

After eight years of struggle,

During which Japan Lost two and a half million people

And killed more than 15 million abroad

The legacy of war in Japan It will be long and painful.