80 years on: Three generations pass on memory of Toyama air raid

Japan Times

9 hours ago

A three-generation family in the central city of Toyama is working to pass on to future generations the memory of a massive air raid that occurred 80 years ago.
In the air raid, which occurred shortly before the end of World War II, U.S. B-29 bombers destroyed 99.5% of Toyama's urban area. According to the city, over 500,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on the city center before dawn, killing over 2,700 people.
"Everything around me was engulfed in flames," said Susumu Sato, 90, who was 10 years old at the time of the bombing. "It's a miracle that I survived."
In 2001, Sato joined a civic group dedicated to passing on experiences of the Toyama air raid to future generations. He gave speeches mainly at elementary and junior high schools in Toyama Prefecture, sharing his story with around 20,000 people.
But Sato's health began to decline, prompting frequent hospitalizations from around 2019. The number of people sharing their stories of the air raid was also decreasing.
Sato's second daughter, Akiyo Nishida, 55, who has closely observed her father's efforts, grew concerned about preserving the memories.
In 2023, Nishida took over her father's storytelling activities with her 17-year-old daughter, Nanako.
"News images (of the Russian invasion of Ukraine) overlapped with the stories of the air raid, and I felt I couldn't keep silent," Nishida said.
Nanako said she is working to pass on her grandfather's memory because "not talking about it may make it as though the tragedy had never happened."
The granddaughter is considering how to share the memory of the tragedy with younger generations. She is collaborating with fellow high school students in the prefecture who share her goals to come up with initiatives.
One such initiative is a lecture on peace at a cafeteria mainly serving needy children. During the lecture last year, participants were served dishes commonly eaten during the war, such as braised sweet potato vine and rice padded with beans.
The program was designed to give children an opportunity to think of war as something close to them. "It's important to know how people suffered," Nanako said.
Recently, Sato, Nishida and Nanako have often been invited to give lectures together.
"I can't take the place of someone who has firsthand experience, but I can share the experience," Nanako said.
"I'm happy that they are doing it on their own will," Sato said of his daughter and granddaughter. "I'm proud of them."