Japanese Students Visit WWII Sites on Iwoto

Tokyo, July 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese students who won prizes in a government-sponsored essay contest last year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II visited Iwoto, widely known as Iwo Jima, a major battlefield of the war, on Saturday. Nine high school and university students, accompanied by members of their families, visited the Pacific island in Tokyo’s village of Ogasawara, where civilian access is limited mainly to memorial services and similar events. At a memorial monument for the war dead in the Tenzan area, the group gave silent prayers for the war dead. Karina Deshimaru, 17, a third-year high school student from the southwestern city of Kagoshima, offered a white bouquet and water as the representative, while the other participants each offered a white chrysanthemum. The group also later inspected a bunker that housed Japanese troop headquarters and a site where work to recover remains of dead soldiers was underway. They also visited Mount Suribachi, where fierce fighting took place between Japanese and U.S. forces during the war. “All we can do is pass on this experience. Even today, there are countries at war. I strongly want people around the world to learn about peace,” Deshimaru said. “Knowing that they gave their lives with a resolve to protect the Japanese mainland, I feel it inexcusable to leave their remains where they are,” said Seiji Odashima, 17, a third-year high school student from Saitama Prefecture. “I want to bring those still remaining back home as quickly as possible.” Between February and March 1945, Japanese and U.S. troops engaged in heavy fighting on the island, resulting in some 21,900 Japanese and 6,800 U.S. deaths. As the number of people with firsthand wartime experiences continues to decline, the welfare ministry held the essay contest to help preserve and pass on the memories of such people to future generations. The ministry collects the remains of the Japanese war dead, including those who perished overseas. On Iwoto alone, remains of more than 10,000 Japanese people are believed to remain. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]