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

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

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

Okunoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea known for being inhabited by around 500 to 600 wild rabbits, has a dark past as the home to a poison gas plant during World War II. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/30/japan/seto-inland-sea-island-poison-gas-plant-wwii/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #wwii #okunoshima #hiroshima #imperialjapanesearmy