80 years ago, after the American bomb, Tokyo was filled with charred bodies. Survivors need compensation

TOKYO (AP) – One night 80 years ago, more than 100,000 people were killed one night after the bomb attack in the U.S. capital, Tokyo. The attack was made with traditional bombs that destroyed downtown Tokyo and scattered charred bodies on the streets.

A few months later in August 1945, the damage was comparable to an atomic explosion, but unlike these attacks, the Japanese government did not provide assistance to the victims, and the incident on the day was largely ignored or forgotten.

Elderly survivors are working to tell their stories and promote financial aid and recognition. Some people are yelling out for the first time, trying to tell the younger generation their lessons.

Shizuyo Takeuchi, 94, said her mission is to continue telling her the 14-year-old history and speak out on behalf of those who died.

Red sky, burnt body

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Takeuchi and her parents lost their home in an earlier bomb attack in February and sheltered at a relative’s riverside home. Her father insisted on crossing the river in the opposite direction of the crowd, a decision that saved the family. Takeuchi remembers walking through the night under the red sky. The orange sunset and siren were still making her uncomfortable.

By the next morning, everything was burning. Two black characters caught her eyes. Looking closely, she realized that a woman was a woman, and it seemed that a piece of coal around her was her child. “I was very shocked. …I feel sorry for them,” she said. “But after seeing a lot of other people, I ended up feeling ruthless.”

Many people who were not burned quickly jumped into the Sumida River and were crushed or drowned.

It is estimated that more than 105,000 people died that night. One million people are homeless. The death toll exceeded those killed in the atomic bombing in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

However, Tokyo's bombs were largely overshadowed by two atomic explosions. The bombs in dozens of other Japanese cities have received less attention.

The explosion occurred after the U.S. occupied a series of former Japanese strongholds in the Pacific Ocean, and the explosion exploded after the collapse of Japanese air and naval defenses, which allowed the B-29 Superfortress Bombers to easily attack Japan's main islands. During the war, the United States became increasingly frustrated, with Japanese military atrocities such as the Bataan Death March.

Record the voice of survivors

There is a house in AI Saotome's house, and her father died in 2022 at the age of 90. He collected records from his peers to raise awareness of the importance of civilian deaths and peace.

Saotome said her father and other survivors don’t think they share the urgency among the younger generation.

Although her father published books on the Tokyo bomb bomb and its victims, through his raw materials, her raw materials gave her new perspectives and realized the aggressiveness of Japan during the war.

She digitized the material at the center of Tokyo Raids and War Loss, a museum that her father opened in 2002 after collecting records and artifacts about the attacks.

“Our generation doesn’t know about the experiences of (the survivors), but at least we can hear their stories and record their voices,” she said. “That’s the responsibility of our generation.”

“For about a decade, when we have a world where no one remembers anything, I hope these documents and records can help,” Saotome said.

Need for financial assistance

The post-war government has provided 60 trillion yen ($405 billion) of welfare support to military veterans and families who have lost their loved ones, and medical support to survivors of the atomic explosion in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Civilian victims of American shells were found nothing.

A group of hopes the government recognizes their suffering and financial help earlier this month, resuming their demands.

No government agencies deal with civilian survivors or keep their records. The Japanese court rejected their claim of compensation of 11 million yen ($74,300), saying citizens should endure suffering in emergencies such as war. A group of lawmakers compiled a draft proposal in 2020, with a one-time payment of the proposal ($3,380), but the plan stagnated due to opposition from some members of the ruling party.

“This year will be our last chance,” Yoshida, who lost her parents and sister in the bombing, said at a meeting, referring to the 80th anniversary of Japan's World War II failure.

Burn skin and scream

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Soon, the truck began to arrive. They were taken to the basement and lined up “like tunas in the market.” Many people were seriously burned, crying and begging for water. The scent of screaming and burning skin was with her for a long time.

Due to the lack of medical supplies, comforting them is the best she can do.

When the war ended five months later (August 15), she immediately thought: No more bombs meant she could turn on the lights. She completed her studies and worked as a nurse to help children and teenagers.

“We shouldn’t repeat what we’ve experienced,” she said.