The Japan TimesJan 11
In Taiwan’s Yilan county, efforts are being made to preserve aircraft bunkers built by Imperial Japan during World War II for its kamikaze suicide attack pilots and commemorate them as part of local history. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/11/japan/history/taiwan-kamikaze-wwii/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #taiwan #wwii #okinawa #usmilitary #imperialjapanesearmy #yilan
Aircraft bunkers in Taiwan’s Yilan county shines light on little-known kamikaze outpost

The Pacific-facing county hosts the largest concentration of such bunkers in Taiwan that are among the best-preserved examples still remaining anywhere.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesNov 24
A resident of Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture, has translated into English and published her late grandfather’s notes recounting his experience as a student soldier serving in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/24/japan/society/english-book-student-soldier/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #wwii #books #aichi #sovietunion #imperialjapanesearmy
Aichi Prefecture resident tells grandfather's WWII story in English

Translating notes about being a student soldier took seven years to complete, in time for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesSep 17, 2025
Russia's invasion of Ukraine takes Yasuhiko Ito back to after World War II, when the former Soviet Union took him — a disarmed soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army — to what is now Bakhmut for forced labor. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/17/japan/history/japanese-internee-in-ukraine-after-wwii/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #wwii #russia #ukraine #forcedlabor #imperialjapanesearmy
Former Japanese internee in Ukraine pained by Russian invasion

After World War II, Yasuhiko Ito was taken as a disarmed soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army by the former Soviet Union to Ukraine for forced labor.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesSep 3, 2025
Faced with aging operators and financial strains, some privately run World War II museums in Japan have decided to close, prompting experts to warn that valuable wartime documents and artifacts could be lost. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/03/japan/private-war-museums-face-challenges-to-survive/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #wwii #imperialjapanesearmy #museums
Private World War II museums in Japan struggle to survive

Experts warn valuable wartime documents and artifacts could be scattered or lost to the public if such museums end up closing their doors.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesAug 20, 2025
A great-grandson of Tome Torihama, who was a beloved motherly figure to kamikaze suicide attack pilots in World War II, is dedicated to preserving the stories of the pilots. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/20/japan/beloved-figure-to-kamikaze-pilots/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #wwii #kagoshima #chiran #imperialjapanesearmy
Passing on the stories of kamikaze pilots as 'human beings, not heroes'

Kenta Torihama, 33, says the pilots 'had people they wanted to protect, and they departed (on their suicide missions) after much agony and anguish.'

The Japan Times
News BeepAug 14, 2025

The indelible memory of being a part of Unit 731

Miyada, Nagano Prefecture – Despite being 95 years old, Hideo Shimizu still remembers the 4½ months he spent…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #biologicalweapons #ImperialJapaneseArmy #torture #unit731 #Warcrimes #World #WWII
https://www.newsbeep.com/59736/

The Japan TimesAug 14, 2025
A former teacher who received guerilla warfare training during World War II has this to say at the ripe old age of 102: War must never repeated. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/14/japan/japan-wwii-soldier-secret-training-guerrilla-warfare/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #wwii #imperialjapanesearmy
War must never be repeated, says WWII guerrilla commander

Former teacher Satoshi Ito, now 102, said he was a pawn of the military, like many others.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesAug 13, 2025
From hidden family records to national archives, a son uncovers a chilling wartime legacy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/13/japan/history/unit-1644-nanjing/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #wwii #imperialjapanesearmy #biologicalweapons #unit731 #unit1644 #china
Hidden rosters and the legacy of Japan’s germ warfare

In a dusty box, a Nagano man finds proof his father served in Nanjing, China, with Unit 1644, part of Japan’s covert biological weapons network during World War II.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesAug 13, 2025
It has been 80 years, but Hideo Shimizu still remembers the 4½ months he spent with Unit 731, the biological and chemical warfare unit of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army, like they were yesterday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/13/japan/history/japan-wwii-unit-731/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #wwii #imperialjapanesearmy #biologicalweapons #unit731
The indelible memory of being a part of Unit 731

For 95-year-old Hideo Shimizu, the 4½ months he spent with the biological and chemical warfare unit of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army were just like yesterday.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesAug 13, 2025
A growing number of people are sharing how their fathers — former Imperial Japanese servicemen — underwent complete changes due to war, prompting the government to launch an initiative to document such realities. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/13/japan/society/former-japanese-soldiers-war-trauma/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #wwii #mhlw #mentalhealth #imperialjapanesearmy
'War trauma' transformed caring father into a complete stranger

A growing number of family members of former Japanese servicemen are sharing their experiences, prompting the government to launch a survey to document such realities.

The Japan Times