U.S. Torpedo Attack Victims Remembered in Japan 82 Years On

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Aug. 22 (Jiji Press)–A memorial event was held Saturday to remember more than 1,400 victims of the sinking of the Tsushima Maru, a Japanese ship torpedoed by a U.S. submarine while evacuating schoolchildren 82 years ago during World War II. At the event in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, survivors and bereaved families offered a moment of silence in front of the “Kozakura no To” memorial monument. “What we need to do is to pass on the tragedy of war and the preciousness of life, as well as conveying our wish for peace without conflict to the next generation,” said Seisho Higa, 83, head of a group to remember the tragedy, in a memorial speech. Higa assumed the position in June following the retirement of former leader Masakatsu Takara, 86, a survivor of the incident. On the night of Aug. 22, 1944, the Tsushima Maru, traveling from Okinawa to the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki, was torpedoed and sank off the coast of Akuseki Island, part of the Tokara chain, in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. At least 1,484 people were killed, including schoolchildren. At the time, survivors were placed under wartime gag orders. Many remained silent about their experiences. On Aug. 15 this year, the Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum unveiled portraits of eight victims, including schoolchildren, newly put on display. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]