Japanese Manga Artist Highlights Importance of Learning about War

Tokorozawa, Saitama Pref., Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese manga artist Kazuyoshi Takeda, author of a series that depicts a World War II battle on the western Pacific island of Peleliu, emphasized the importance of learning about war so as not to repeat past mistakes. “For generations that have never experienced war, the first important step is to learn about it,” the 50-year-old author of “Peleliu: Guernica in Paradise” said as nearly 90 pct of the people now alive in Japan have no direct experience of conflict. In 2015, 70 years after the end of World War II, Takeda created his first war-themed one-off manga. “I felt that the way Japanese soldiers thought for themselves and survived was very human and no different from me,” he said, recalling stories shared by a war historian who had extensive knowledge of Peleliu Island. “It made me want to draw them in manga.” Takeda turned the one-off manga into the serial Peleliu, featuring Japanese Private First Class Tamaru, an aspiring manga artist, as the main character. The story follows historical events from the 1944 battle between Japanese and U.S. forces on the island, through the years of hiding by Japanese soldiers that continued until 1947 after the war had officially ended. It even extends to their grandchildren’s generation. Takeda aimed to appeal to a broad audience by portraying the characters as cute, three-head-style figures to help cushion the impact of cruel scenes. The series of 15 volumes took him 10 years to complete. “The core of the story is how difficult it is to end a war once it starts,” Takeda said. “There is no way out.” Only 34 Japanese soldiers survived on Peleliu Island. Takeda met with one of them, Kiyokazu Tsuchida, six times to listen to his stories before he died at the age of 98 in 2018. Tsuchida, who usually spoke with humor, was seen bursting into tears when discussing the deaths of his comrades, according to Takeda. Another survivor declined to share his experience, saying that manga would be “too light a medium.” Acknowledging the challenge of balancing popularity with sincerity regarding the subject of war, Takeda said that the comments serve as “words of caution” to him not to diminish the weight of the issue. Both Tsuchida and another survivor died while the series was being made, prompting Takeda to think that he cannot make a work that goes against their wishes. Children and grandchildren of former Japanese soldiers wrote to him saying that his manga helped them better understand their ancestors’ feelings and experiences. Young readers, including elementary school students, responded that they were not aware that something like this had happened. Having received feedback from them, Takeda smiled as he said, “I was happy that it reached young people and others who might never have encountered the subject of war except through manga.” “I hope my work serves as a gateway that encourages people to research and study,” Takeda added. “No matter how you look at it, war is the greatest misfortune.” Everyday life and death are a consistent theme running through Takeda’s creations since his debut. His next project is planned around the Battle of Okinawa, which took place in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa during the final phase of World War II. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]