"I told my daughter, 'Don't cry.
"'Wipe away your tears now.
"'See your father off with a smile."'
"Dearest wife.
"The happy dream is over"
"Tomorrow, I will drive my plane into an enemy ship.
"When I think of your future, it tears at my heart."
"For 2,600 years, our empire has never known a defeat.
"The key to success lies in a faith in victory."
'This early color film taken in July 1937
'shows one of Japan's most sacred festivals.
'The Tenjin Matsuri.
'It is less than 70 years since the Emperor was restored to power
'and Japan began to transform itself from an isolated feudal state
'into Asia's greatest power.
'But lying beneath this rush to modernity
'is a deep-seated fear of western domination.
'Tokyo, Japan's capital, is now one of the world's largest cities.
'It is the heart of an empire that already includes Taiwan and Korea.
'Journalist Shiro Iwata -'
"Today's Japan should not confine itself to its own small sphere.
"Nor should it remain in its position in the Orient.
"Japan bears the burden of a global mission.
"It should advance to lead the entire world."
'Japan is Asia's first industrialized nation.
'In 1937, Nissan unveils its first luxury car-
'the six-cylinder Datsun model 70.
'There are plans to export them abroad for the first time to Australia.
'They have a new slogan-
"'Datsun is the car and the Rising Sun is the flag."
'With its newly-found international status,
'Japan has also to face the world's problems.
'The recent global depression begun by the Wall Street crash in the United States
'has caused widespread poverty and a climate of political extremism.
'22-year-old farmer's son Tadashi Konuma -'
"How can we farmers survive?
"We have to borrow money from loan sharks who demand such high interest.
"Those who work so hard to grow the rice
"cannot afford to eat it.
"Japan is becoming an unworthy country in which to live.
"So I was determined to devote myself to revolution."
'Konuma joins an extremist group, the Blood Brothers,
'and in a Tokyo street, shoots dead the government minister.
'Japan's courtship with parliamentary government begins to turn sour.
'A wave of political assassinations and attempted coups
'force the Japanese into the arms of extreme militarists.
'Liberal politician Korekiyo Takahashi -'
"If you say anything bad about the army,
"then the military police rattle their swords
"or point a gun or threaten you.
"When a newspaper publisher in Kyushu wrote something bad about the army,
"they threatened him by having an airplane circle his factory
"and said they would bomb it."
'As the militarists strengthen their grip on the reigns of power,
'Takahashi is assassinated.
'18th March, 1937.
'Emperor Hirohito's younger brother Prince Chichibu,
'leaves Japan for Europe.
'One of his aides records the journey on color film.
'This is the first time it has been shown.
'The Prince's first stop is London
'to represent the Emperor at the coronation of King George VI.
'Allies in the First World War,
'Japan and Britain are now imperial rivals in the Far East.
'MP Winston Churchill -'
"I have often written about Germany rearming.
"Let us gaze for a moment at Japan.
"Here again is a nation imbued with dreams of war and conquest
"where every voice of moderation is silenced by death."
'The coronation celebrations include a royal naval review at Spithead
'off the coast at Portsmouth.
'The Imperial Japanese Navy is represented by the cruiser Ashigara.
'Lieutenant Commander Tota Ishimaru -'
"Unless either Japan stops the policy of expansion
"or unless Britain abandons her policy of the preservation of the status quo,
"an Anglo-Japanese war is not the dream of a fool.
"Wake up, people of Britain.
"Times have changed.
"You cannot go on as you have done in the past."
'Prince Chichibu continues his European tour
'with a holiday in Switzerland.
'Japan has recently signed an anti-Soviet pact with Nazi Germany.
'The government in Tokyo instructs the Prince
'to break his holiday to meet Japan's newest ally.
'In September, Prince Chichibu arrives in Germany
'and is shown every honor by his Nazi hosts.
'He is invited to attend the annual Nuremberg rally
'and to meet the Nazi Führer himself.'
'At a reception for the Japanese ambassador,
'Adolf Hitler -'
"The German people bring to the great Japanese nation
"its unbounded admiration.
"I am glad to be able to state that on the basis of a unity of spirit,
"the relations of our two nations have been marked by sincere friendship."
'Japan now has its own fascist party,
'led by Seigo Nakano.'
"Hitler is a man of firm will and sincerity.
"Not a single word he utters is vulgar.
"He is a hero that rose from the defeated Germany
"to achieve a new world order.
"Japan has to maintain the pact with Germany...
"who shares our frustrations."
'Just as Germany craves control of Europe,
'Japan wants to dominate Asia.
'The question is, can this be done by peaceful means...
'or by war?
'China, Japan's huge neighbor on mainland Asia.
'To protect their interests, the Japanese have had a military presence here
'since before the First World War.
'But now they want more.
'In 1931, Chinese troops had been attacked
'by radical elements of the Japanese army.
'They had seized the province of Manchuria
'against the wishes of the liberal government in Tokyo.
'Leader of the rebels, Colonel Kanji Ishiwara -'
"Let the government do what they will.
"The army is going to carry out this sacred mission to save China.
"The last war in human history is approaching.
"A titanic world conflict
"which will be the gateway to a golden age of human culture.
"The only way for Asia is to advance together."
'Right-wing militarists now dominate the government in Tokyo.
'In July 1937,
'an incident between Japanese and Chinese troops outside Peking
'leads to war.'
'The High Command sends reinforcements to China.
'Thousands of men between the ages of 20 and 40 are called up to fight.
'The government promises the war will be won in a month.
'Tora Yoshida -'
"When I arrived, the brass band was playing.
"And the people were shouting, Banzai!
"I told my daughter, 'Don't cry. Wipe away your tears now.
"'See your father off with a smile.'
"I knew that if I showed my tears,
"it would only give more pain to my husband."
'A group of Japanese businessmen toured Shanghai,
'the Empire's newest conquest.
'One of them films it in color.
'The film has lain hidden for 65 years.
'This is the first time it has been seen.
'After almost six months of war,
'most of Eastern China is now in Japanese hands.
'The fighting has been fierce and brutal.
'As many as 20,000 Japanese soldiers have already been killed
'and over 250,000 Chinese.
'The diary of Private Shiro Azuma -'
"7,000 prisoners all in one place.
"I thought, 'How could they become prisoners
"without even trying to show any resistance?
"They looked like a bunch of homeless people
"with vacant expressions on their faces.
"It felt quite foolish to think we had been fighting to the death
"against these ignorant slaves."
'On December 13th, 1937,
'the news is announced that the Chinese capital Nanking has fallen.
'Children all over Japan are given time off school to celebrate.'
'Journalist Shingoro Takaishi -'
"I am proud of our Japanese soldiers.
"I am positive they will not act in a repulsive manner against civilians.
"There may be pictures showing inhuman acts
"committed by Japanese soldiers
"but it is improbable that what they represent is true."
'Tadanobu Kurosu of the 19th Infantry Regiment in China
'records a different story.'
"5,000 prisoners were taken to the Yangste River
"to be executed by machine guns.
"Bayonets were used to finish them off.
"I felt a demonic excitement
"as I climbed up the pile of bodies and stabbed them.
"There were soldiers, old, young,
"and children.
"I have never felt anything like it in my life."
'Government censorship in Japan
'prevents any mention of incidents like the "Rape of Nanking".
'For them, the war is not a conquest but a liberation.
'May 4th, 1938.
'Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet in Rome.
'Italy has just conquered Abyssinia and Germany has annexed Austria.
'All they need now is for Japan to complete their axis of power.
'A new world order is forming.
'As Japan's imperial army struggles to conquer China's vast territory,
'more and more soldiers are called up to fight.
'The promise of a quick victory evaporates.
'The war becomes a bloody stalemate.
'Kunio Nakao writes to his friend who has just been drafted.'
"I pray to the gods that you do not have to go to the front.
"If you do, that will be the end.
"If you come back, it will only be as bones.
"Why waste all those young lives?
"Especially a good person like you."
'Enthusiasm for the war in China is starting to wane.
'October 1938.
'The northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
'The wedding of Chieko Noguchi and Lieutenant Naokichi Okita.
'By the time Naokichi leaves for the front, his wife is pregnant.'
"Dear Chieko.
"Thank you very much for loving me for so long.
"As I am going to take part in the great battle
"on which our country's fate depends,
"I cannot expect to come home alive.
"Stay calm and deal with whatever happens with the help of your parents.
"I hope our new baby will be delivered safe.
"Chieko, you must take really good care of yourself."
'At home, the government has begun
'the campaign of National Spiritual Mobilization,
'to get everyone behind the war effort.'
'A rally for the Women's National Defense Association
'to help raise money and prepare special welfare packages
'for the troops at the front.
'The whole nation is now at war.
'At school sports days, children now have to perform military drills.
'12-year-old Kikuya Sumita -'
"This is the very moment that Japan needs total support from its people.
"We are responsible for the future of Japan
"as we are the next generation.
"We must live our lives with strength and bright hearts."
'On 11th February 1939,
'schoolchildren celebrate Empire Day outside the Emperor's palace in Tokyo.
'The cult of the Emperor unifies the nation.
'He is seen as a living god who expects unquestioning obedience.
'Koshu Itabashi -'
"His Imperial Majesty seems to embody everything.
"That's why he's able to inflame passions.
"For Japan, this is a holy war."
'Student Wakana Nishihara -'
"In Britain, you say, 'God save the King.'
"With the help of God, the King can govern.
"If he does not obey God's will, the people have the right to cut him down.
"But in Japan, we believe you should die for the sake of the Emperor.
"So no one can disobey an order to die for him."
'War has been raging in Europe for nine months.
'The Nazi blitzkrieg that began in Poland has now reached France.
'On the morning of the 23rd June 1940,
'Hitler tours a defeated and deserted Paris.
'The speed and extent of the Nazi victories in Europe
'convince Japan's leaders to sign the Axis pact with Germany and Italy.
'Japanese troops occupy parts of French Indochina.
'Japan's empire is now run as a police state.
'Total obedience is demanded.
'Any opposition is ruthlessly stamped out by the Tokko,
'Japan's thought police.
'The diary of teacher Jiro Morishita -'
"Under censorship, we are unable to talk openly about the war.
"Mr. Kagawa was arrested under suspicion of being a traitor.
"The newspaper said he has now agreed to change his views and philosophy.
"I just cannot believe it."
'Britain and the United States
'are providing vital supplies to the Chinese forces fighting the Japanese.
'In Japan, this is seen as an act of aggression.
'Headmaster Risuke Kawamura -'
"As long as Britain and America support China by providing arms,
"this war will not stop.
"Japan does not want to destroy China
"but simply to kick out Britain and America."
'Japan has few natural resources
'and no oil to fuel her war machine.
'The western powers have imposed economic sanctions.
'When Japan refuses to leave China immediately,
'the West cuts off the supply of oil.
'Yoichi Yanagida is a student from Kyoto.'
"Call-ups into the army have become very heavy recently.
"More than ever, I sense that this is the time of national emergency.
"Every second, we seem to be on the brink of falling into an abyss.
"When will that fatal moment arrive?"
'24th September 1941.
'Naval intelligence in Tokyo sends a message to secret agent Yoshikawa
'living in Pearl Harbor.'
"Strictly secret from now on.
"We would like to have you make reports concerning vessels.
"With regard to warships and aircraft carriers,
"we would like to have you report on those at anchor, tied up at wharfs
"and in docks."
'On the 7th December 1941,
'Japan launches a daring strike.
'Planes from a massive armada surprise the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
'The attack is captured on color film by American serviceman Clyde Daughtry
'with his own camera.
'For the last 60 years,
'the original color of this badly faded print has gone unnoticed...
'until now.
'This is the first time it has been broadcast in color.
'For two hours, 350 planes pound the American ships.
'The Japanese pilots sink or badly damage eight battleships, three cruisers,
'and several other smaller ships.
'Only 29 Japanese planes are lost.
'Over 2,400 Americans are killed.'
'The news of a "great victory" at Pearl Harbor
'is announced early in the morning.
'The new Prime Minister General Hideki Tojo -'
"The key to success lies in our faith in victory.
"For 2,600 years since it was founded,
"our empire has never known a defeat.
"It is time for the 100 million of us Japanese
"to sacrifice everything for our country's cause."
'Housewife Tei Fujiwara -'
"I was so surprised at the news.
"I jumped around our garden with my baby shouting,
"'Oh, God! Oh, God! Let us put faith in the army!"'
'12-year-old Yoshitaka Kojima is at school.'
"We heard the footsteps of our teacher coming into the classroom.
"I was class leader and gave the order to stand up and bow.
"The first thing our teacher said was,
"'Japan started the war against America and Britain.'
"All of us were so excited,
"clapping our hands with joy."
'The force that attacks Pearl Harbor includes five mini submarines.
'Four are destroyed and one captured.
'Its commander is the first Japanese prisoner of war.
'Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki -'
"My willingness to die goes without saying.
"Becoming a prisoner is inexcusable.
"Even when we are unarmed,
"to bite with teeth and to fight to the last is the Japanese spirit."
'With Japan's plan for Asian conquest now under way,
'the British colony of Hong Kong is vulnerable to attack.
'The headquarters of the Royal Navy's China Station fleet,
'it is a symbol of Western domination over Asia.
'Chief of Operations, 25th Japanese Army,
'Colonel Masanobu Tsuji -'
"Japan's next great mission is to bring the blessing of freedom
"to the natives of South Asia.
"To these people, the westerners are mere armed robbers
"while we Japanese are their brothers.
"So we must beat them into submission."
'Japanese forces capture Hong Kong on Christmas Day 1941.
'There are also invasions of the Philippines, Burma,
'and British Malaya.
'The greatest prize of all lies at the tip of the Malayan peninsular.
'Singapore - the bastion of the British Empire in the Far East.
'Colonel Masanobu Tsuji to the invading troops -'
"When you encounter the enemy,
"regard yourself as an avenger,
"face to face at last with your father's murderer.
"Here before you is a man whose death
"will lighten your heart of its brooding anger.
"The present war is a struggle between races.
"We must achieve our just demands
"with no thought of mercy to Europeans."
'The enemy forces at the port of Singapore were forced to surrender
'to the Japanese forces in Malaya at 7:50 P.M.'
'With the capture of Singapore,
'Japan inflicts a humiliating defeat on the British Empire.
'The Japanese army overwhelms a British force twice its size.
'More than 100,000 British and Empire soldiers surrender.'
'Singapore has fallen. Singapore has fallen.'
'February 19th 1942.
'In another daring strike, the same force that hit Pearl Harbor
'surprises the Royal Australian Navy at Darwin.
'Eight ships are sunk and over 240 people killed.
'The Japanese have also begun an invasion of the Dutch East Indies.
'Their dream of imperial conquest is almost complete.
'Six weeks later, after steaming 4,000 miles across the Indian Ocean,
'the same fleet also surprises the Royal Navy at Colombo in Ceylon.
'500 British seamen are killed.
'Japan's new empire now spans more than a fifth of the globe,
'including Asia's vital oil fields.
'The diary of Sei Ito -'
"When I heard the military song We Never Stop Advancing,
"my heart was pounding with excitement.
"I rejoiced with the victory.
"For we Japanese to be accepted as a first-class nation,
"we have no option but to fight against the first-class westerners."
'The High Command in Tokyo
'is convinced that the remains of the US Pacific fleet
'can be destroyed in one big decisive battle.
'The place they choose is the small Pacific island of Midway.
'On 4th June, Japanese planes attack.
'Combined fleet commander Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto -'
"In the first year of war with America and Britain,
"I will run wild and win victory upon victory.
"But then, if the war continues after that,
"I have no expectation of success."
'The Americans have broken the Japanese naval codes.
'This time, it is the Japanese who are surprised
'when US planes ambush their fleet.
'Four of Japan's aircraft carriers are sunk
'and more than 300 aircraft are destroyed.
'But Radio Tokyo announces another great victory.'
"Our attack has punished our arrogant enemies, America and Britain.
"They are now terrified of us.
"We should all celebrate this great victory."
'The truth of the defeat at Midway
'is hidden from the Japanese people.'
'The real casualty figures are withheld.
'For the High Command in Tokyo, it is a military disaster.
'Less than two years after Pearl Harbor,
'Japan's new empire is under attack on all fronts.
'The government in Tokyo continues to hide the truth from the Japanese people.
'The diary of sub-lieutenant Kinpei Matsouka -'
"A war is easy when you are winning...
"but becomes very difficult once it turns into a defensive struggle.
"I ask the government - is this war being fought with any probability of winning?
"Or is the government forever fighting on,
"with only an empty dream of victory?"
'On the home front, rationing is now beginning to hurt.
'The shortage of food even affects the animals at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo.
'Keeper of the elephants, Saburo Fukuda -'
"In the morning, I had a phone call from my superior.
"We were told to dispose of all the animals by poison."
'When the news gets out,
'the zoo is inundated with letters from children.'
"I was very shocked by the news.
"My mummy burst into tears.
"This is such a terrible war.
"I feel awful that Miss Hanako, the elephant,
"has to die for the sake of our country."
'Despite the protests, the zoo keepers poison their animals.
'A week after the D-day landings in Europe,
'the US fleet begins a bombardment of the Mariana Islands
'in the southwestern Pacific.
'Sergeant Takeo Yamauchi is dug in on the island of Saipan.'
"It sounds like a massive drum reverberating from the sea.
"It was like the shouting of the devil in my ears."
'If the Marianas are captured,
'it will put Japan within range of American heavy bombers.
'The High Command in Tokyo orders its garrisons
'to defend themselves at all costs.'
"The Americans were advancing like a swarm of grasshoppers.
"They were so tiny wading ashore.
"I saw flames shooting up from American tanks.
"All the men in front of us were killed on that first day."
'When news of the fighting reaches Tokyo,
'the Imperial Navy's planes are ordered to attack the US fleet.
'Naval Commander in Chief, Admiral Soemu Toyoda -'
"The rise and fall of Imperial Japan
"depends on this one battle.
"Every man shall do his utmost."
'Over the next 48 hours,
'over 400 Japanese aircraft and three aircraft carriers are destroyed.
'For the Imperial Navy, it is another disaster.
'By the beginning of July,
'more than 25,000 Japanese soldiers lie dead on the Marianas.
'Taro Kawaguchi -'
"At last, the end has come.
"I am only 26 years old.
"I am happy to have fought the enemy, doing my duty.
"Now I will become a war god.
"It is regrettable that the American devils are stomping on imperial soil.
"I will become a ghost and will stay on this island
"until friendly forces come to reclaim the soil of the Emperor."
'12 days later, Taro's diary is discovered on his body.
'There is one more horror before the battle for the Marianas is finally over.
'The survivors of the fighting are crowded into caves.
'The Americans try to convince them to surrender.
'18-year-old nurse Shizuko Sugano -'
"One of our soldiers brought in an American leaflet
"that said 'The war in Saipan is over.
"'The survivors should now come out with their arms up.
"'You have done your duty.'
"I think this is such a big lie.
"We will all be crushed by tanks or beaten to death by military dogs
"if we are caught by the Americans.
"I think it's better to commit suicide."
'Although a few soldiers choose to surrender,
'most refuse.
'Hiding amongst them are thousands of women and children.
'Years of government propaganda about the "evil Americans"
'leads to a terrible tragedy.
'Sergeant Takeo Yamauchi -'
"Inside the cave, babies were crying loudly.
"An officer ordered, 'Stop that crying.'
"But it didn't work.
"The officer shouted, 'Kill the babies immediately.'
"One of the mothers then strangled her own baby.
"There were no more crying babies in the cave.
"Only sobbing mothers."
'14-year-old Ryoko Okuyama witnesses the mass suicides.'
"My mother was telling us that we were going somewhere very nice.
"And we will all be going together.
"Then our sergeant threw the hand grenade.
"Now I am really going to die.
"But I survived alone - only myself.
"I lost all my family."
'More than 13,000 civilians die in the fighting.
'With the fall of the Mariana Islands,
'nowhere in Japan is now beyond the reach of American air power.
'No one is safe from the war.'
'The Japanese-held island of Peleliu in the western Pacific.
'The Allied advance is less than 2,000 miles from Japan.
'The Japanese have now been at war for over seven years
'and are fighting the combined forces of China, the British Empire
'and the United States.
'Fueled on both sides by vicious propaganda,
'the fighting has reached new levels of barbarity.
'Sub-lieutenant Shin Hasegawa -'
"Any question of justice is no longer an issue in this war.
"The whole thing amounts to an explosion of hatred
"between national groups.
"Neither side will stop fighting short of their total self-destruction.
"How shameful."
'When the Americans liberate the island of Guam,
'they discover evidence of Japanese atrocities
'committed against the islanders.
'13-year-old Beatrice Emsley is a witness.'
"They pull my uncle away and they march him into the jungle.
"All us girls hear is like somebody chopping down the forest
"and moaning for God
"and saying, 'I'm dying.'
"After they finish and everything is quiet,
"they went by us with bloody uniforms."
'As many as 600 of the island's people
'had been executed by the Japanese
'during their occupation.
'With the homeland in danger of invasion,
'the Japanese High Command turns to a desperate new tactic.
'On 25th November 1944,
'a lone Japanese bomber closes in on the USS Essex.
'Its pilot is part of a new force.
'The Special Attack Corps - Kamikaze.
'The Japanese High Command
'is convinced the Kamikaze will break Allied morale
'and turn the tide of the war.
'Thousands of young men are pressed to volunteer
'to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
'23-year-old Isao Masuo -'
"Dear parents. Please congratulate me.
"I have been given a splendid opportunity to die.
"The destiny of our homeland
"hinges on the decisive battle in the seas to the south
"where I shall fall like a blossom from a cherry tree."
'When the crew of a US destroyer attempts to rescue a pilot,
'he pulls out a grenade.
'At home in Japan, newspapers and newsreels
'are full of the Kamikazes' exploits.
'They are seen as Japan's salvation.
'Students are called up and trained to attack with planes, boats
'and even human torpedoes.
'To help them, a special Suicide Manual is devised.'
"Upon sighting the target, aim for a point at the center of the ship.
"As you dive, shout at the top of your lungs,
"'Hissatsu! Kill without fail!'
"Just before the collision, it is essential you do not shut your eyes.
"You will feel that you're suddenly floating in the air.
"At that moment, you will see your mother's face.
"Then you are no more."
'A Japanese sailor is hauled out of the sea.
'He is the pilot of a small wooden suicide boat packed with explosives.
'Although hailed as heroes at home,
'in their private diaries and letters, many Kamikazes reveal a different story.
'22-year-old army pilot Yoshi Miyagi -'
"We the Kamikaze are nothing but robots.
"If we had listened to those Japanese who really love their country,
"we would not now be faced with this disaster.
"I know that my death can no longer serve any purpose."
'Despite the Kamikaze hitting over 400 ships,
'and killing more than 5,000 Allied sailors,
'the Allied advance towards Japan continues.'
'21-year-old Haruo Araki -'
"Dearest wife. The happy dream is over.
"Tomorrow, I will guide my plane into an enemy ship.
"I will cross the river into the other world
"taking some Yankees with me.
"When I think of your future, it tears at my heart."
'By the end of the war,
'more than 4,000 Kamikaze will have flown to their deaths.'
'Japan's empire,
'that once extended over vast areas of the Pacific and Asia,
'is now shrinking fast.
'On 1st April 1945, the island of Okinawa is bombarded by the Americans.
'It is the first piece of Japanese soil to be attacked.
'To defend the island,
'the Japanese High Command has devised another new tactic.
'Its forces have moved inland, hidden away in caves and bunkers.
'Senior staff officer, 32nd Army, Colonel Hiromichi Yahara -'
"As their troops land with almost no resistance,
"what must the enemy commander be thinking?
"I am unable to suppress an ironic chuckle.
"It is amusing to watch the American army
"so desperately attacking an undefended coast,
"like a blind man who has lost his cane."
'Okinawa is less than 400 miles from the main Japanese islands
'and home to almost 400,000 civilians.
'14-year-old Junko Isa -'
"When we heard the Americans had landed nearby,
"all eight of us hurried for the forest.
"Then an enemy plane screamed through the sky.
"When we looked back, the whole place was in flames.
"We could hear people crying out for help.
"But gradually the voices disappeared.
"That's when we knew they were dead."
'The High Command in Tokyo
'is desperate to prevent an invasion of the mainland.
'They are prepared to sacrifice Okinawa
'to show the Americans how bloody this could be.
'From his command post on Mount Shuri,
'Colonel Yahara observes the advancing Americans.'
"For months now, we have been building our strongest fortifications
"in the hills to the south.
"Here, we will lure the American forces and defeat them."
'After days of marching,
'suddenly the Americans run headlong into the main Japanese force.'
"The Emperor declared that this battle would decide our nation's future.
"Then came the glorious news that President Roosevelt was dead.
"We staff officers were ecstatic.
"We are convinced that now we will surely win the war."
"This is Radio Tokyo, Japan.
"Here is the news of the world.
"In Okinawa, fierce hand-to-hand combat continues to rage in many areas."
'Radio Tokyo has begun a propaganda service in English
'aimed at the American troops.'
"The people of Okinawa Island are putting up fierce resistance
"against the invaders.
"Even high school girls are throwing hand grenades at American troops."
'20,000 Okinawans
'are conscripted to fight in the Japanese army.
'16-year-old schoolgirl Kikuko Miyagi
'is made a nurse in an underground hospital.'
"Wounded soldiers are being carried in in large numbers.
"Some don't have limbs.
"Some don't have faces.
"There were young men in their 20s and 30s screaming like babies,
"thousands of them."
'The overwhelming power of the Americans
'begins to force its way through the Japanese defenses.
'Then, on May 8th 1945,
'the news is announced that Germany has surrendered to the Allies.
'Colonel Yahara -'
"We now realize that we are doomed.
"It is nonsense to continue the war after our only real ally has collapsed.
"Our leaders got us involved in this war to preserve their own power.
"Who could not now despair at knowing
"that our soldiers are dying for the sake of such people?"
'For the first time in the war,
'thousands of Japanese soldiers surrender.'
"Japan will never go down in defeat,
"as long as there remains an inch of ground and one subject left.
"For the Japanese, there is no unconditional surrender."
'As the Americans eliminate the last pockets of resistance,
'thousands of civilians, who have been forced to shelter in caves,
'are trapped in an inferno of explosives and napalm.
'When the survivors emerge, they are terrified, starving
and close to death.
'Kikuko Miyagi is one of the last to come out.'
"There was a rain of bullets.
"The Americans must have thought we were with the soldiers.
"Aosa, Ueki and Nakamoto were killed instantly.
"Their bodies fell on top of me.
"Then, the firing stopped.
"The Americans must have noticed they were shooting girls.
"My ten classmates were all dead.
"I will never forget."
'Over 12,000 Americans and more than 200,000 Japanese
'had been killed, including a quarter of the island's civilian population.
'It is the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.
'The only target left is Japan itself.
'From bases on the newly-captured islands,
'the Americans have begun a new offensive.
'The firebombing of Japan's cities.
'Sawaharu Hashimoto is an air-raid warden in Tokyo.'
"The fires bursting out from the bombs
"spread like a magic carpet.
"In front of my eyes was a real scene of hell.
"On both sides of the road, there were people on fire.
"It wasn't possible to tell if they were men or women."
'Masuko Saito -'
"We were surrounded by a sea of fire.
"I ran with my three children and jumped into the river.
"People were screaming and shouting.
"Dear God. Please let my family be killed in one go."
'In just one raid on Tokyo alone,
'more than 100,000 people are burnt to death.
'The Americans have complete mastery of the air over Japan.
'The older and slower planes of the Japanese air force
'are no match for the American fighters.
'With its shipping lanes left unprotected,
'and vital supplies of fuel cut off,
'the Japanese war machine is almost helpless to resist.
'Yasuko Ogiwara is on a train on her way home.'
"The sound of a plane made all the passengers scream with fear.
"It was like a wild animal attacking its prey.
"One after another, people were getting hit.
"I could feel the heat of the bullets
"as they shot past my face.
"One middle-aged woman was killed right in front of me.
"Dead bodies and bits of flesh and bone were all around me."
'The Japanese are under siege.
'US submarines roam at will, picking off Japan's merchant fleet one by one.
'With almost no food supplies getting through,
'the Japanese people are beginning to starve.
'Michio Komatsu -'
"Despite government censorship,
"everyone is aware that American submarines are winning this war.
"We have hardly any ships left by now.
"Winston Churchill says that we will have to survive by eating sand.
"Only now do we realize what a formidable enemy we are fighting."
'July 1945.
'A villa in a suburb of Berlin.
'The Allied leaders meet to discuss how to end the war in the Pacific.
'They offer the Japanese a choice-
'unconditional surrender...
'or utter destruction.
'11 days later, with no answer from the Japanese,
'the Americans drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki.
'10-year-old Makoto Nagai -'
"There was a terrific rush of wind and a noise like thunder.
"The biggest thing that ever was- ugly and beautiful.
"'It was like a pillar of fire.
"I thought an airplane had crashed into the sun."
'On the day before the bomb,
'Dr. Takashi Nagai said goodbye to his wife and went to work as usual.'
"Three days later, I managed to return home.
"I found her at once.
"A black lump in the remains of the kitchen.
"Just her pelvis and other bones, scorched by the fire.
"She was still warm.
"I picked up my wife and put her in a bucket.
"And I carried her to the cemetery."
'Over 200,000 people have been killed instantly.
'Many thousands more will die in the months and years to come.
'16-year-old Ichiro Hatano writes in his diary.'
"Was the army completely unaware the enemy had a weapon like this?
"It was stupid to hope that we could possibly win this war
"with bamboo spears.
"Our will to fight is melting away."
'Six days after the bombing of Nagasaki,
'there is a special announcement on the radio.
'Japan's divine ruler, Emperor Hirohito,
'will speak to his people.'
"To our good and loyal subjects.
"After pondering deeply,
"we have decided to effect a settlement
"by resorting to an extraordinary measure."
'For the first time,
'the Japanese people hear the voice of their living god.
'Without once mentioning the word surrender,
'he announces the end of the war.'
"If we continue to fight,
"it would not only result in the ultimate obliteration of the Japanese nation
"but it would also lead to the total extinction of human civilization.
"So we have decided to pave the way for a grand peace
"by enduring the unendurable."
'Hiroko Nakamoto -'
"After we had listened to the Emperor,
"no one spoke about the ending of the war.
"Everyone is heartbroken, worn out.
"Yes, there is relief in knowing we would have no more bombs.
"But what was left for us?
"Families without homes, children without parents.
"What would happen to our beloved country,
"conquered now by white men from the west?"
'Following the Emperor's broadcast,
'orders are sent throughout the empire
'for Japanese forces to lay down their arms
'and surrender.
'Shintaro Uno is in the 41st infantry regiment.'
"I never dreamt the Emperor would give up so easily.
"Officers like me didn't believe Japan could lose.
"I was ordered to burn the regimental colors.
"I did it with tears streaming down my face.
"I only hope the victors will deal with us in a gentlemanly manner."
'Housewife Yu Aihara is worried about her husband.'
"At the news of the surrender,
"all the energy drained out of my body.
"Then the radio news continued
"and I heard that soldiers abroad would be disarmed and repatriated to Japan.
"I felt so relieved and I prayed all night through.
"God, please stop my husband committing suicide."
'It will be three years before Yu Aihara
'receives any news of her husband.
'He had been killed on August 10th, just five days before the surrender.
'All over Asia, prisoner of war camps are being liberated by the Allies.
'Over 130,000 British and Empire troops captured in Malaya,
'Singapore and Burma had been forced to work in appalling conditions
'by their Japanese captors.
'Many of the camp guards are arrested and charged with brutality and murder.
'First Lieutenant Hiroshi Abe
'was in command of a railroad construction unit.'
"I really didn't do anything wrong.
"I just worked there.
"We had to have human labor because we didn't have machines.
"If a prisoner looked lazy, he'd be beaten up.
"I didn't really know anything about the Geneva Convention.
"In my camp, 3,100 died."
'Yoshikichi Kasayama, a guard.'
"We beat and kicked prisoners in order to make them work.
"There wasn't much to eat
"and army regulations said we were to feed ourselves first.
"What was left went to the prisoners.
"So they got very thin.
"Every day, they died.
"There was no time to dig graves.
"And when you put several hundred corpses in one place,
"everything reeks with the smell of rotting bodies.
"The stink of death."
'Of the British and Empire soldiers captured by the Japanese,
'almost one in four - more than 29,000-
'are dead by the war's end.
'Atsugi Air Base, outside Tokyo,
'headquarters of one of the Imperial Navy's Kamikaze squadrons.
'The pilots have fled leaving a corps of boys to prepare the base
'for the arrival of the first American invaders.
'Journalist Masuo Kato -'
"There were rumors the armed members of the Kamikaze corps
"were hiding in the nearby hills, ready to strike.
"The people had been suddenly told to withdraw from a fight to the death.
"And their reaction was still impossible to predict."
'For the first time in their history,
'the Japanese are faced with the reality of defeat.
'At two o'clock in the afternoon,
'a plane arrives.
'It is carrying Japan's new ruler, General Douglas MacArthur.
'Masuo Kato is waiting on the tarmac.'
"The Supreme Commander paused to glance casually around the sunlit airfield
"as he savored the moment,
"very much like a great actor making a carefully planned entrance.
"Now that the westerners have arrived, how long will they stay?"
'As General MacArthur leaves for Yokohama en route to Tokyo,
'30,000 Japanese soldiers are ordered to line the route.
'They are told to turn their backs in deference to their new overlord.
'16-year-old Ichiro Hatano is waiting in Tokyo.'
"The police are giving orders about the Americans.
"'Avoid personal contact as much as possible.
"'If an American starts a conversation, answer him calmly.
"'Women should dress modestly and go out alone as little as possible.'
"Being occupied is more frightening than being bombed."
'Three days later, on 2nd September 1945,
'preparations are under way for the official surrender.
'The responsibility for signing falls to Japan's Foreign Minister,
'Mamoru Shigemitsu.'
"Japan's leaders have tried to avoid taking responsibility for the surrender,
"so it is my duty to carry through this last decisive act.
"I was surrounded by enemy onlookers.
"Then General MacArthur entered."
It is my earnest hope
and indeed the hope of all mankind
that from this solemn occasion,
a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past.
"MacArthur declared the war was over
"and requested us to sign the surrender.
"It comes hard to us Japanese to use the word surrender.
"The military thinks it should be referred to as a cease-fire.
"But whatever you call it,
"Japan's rebirth will depend on her realization
"that she has surrendered as a result of defeat."
'Japan's holy war is finally over.
'Now the Japanese will have to endure occupation.
'October 1945.
'The British cruiser HMS Swiftsure arrives in Nagasaki.
'It is now more than six weeks since Japan officially surrendered.
'Allied troops are moving into all the major cities.
'Schoolboy Naokata Sasaki -'
"The word came - 'They're on their way.
"'What would they be like?
"'They came down the road towards us.
"'They're coming in Jeeps and trucks!'
"We had images of glaring demons with horns sprouting from their heads.
"We peeped out to try and catch a glimpse of them.
"We were disappointed. No horns at all.
"Friends who had bumped into them on the streets brought back chocolates.
"'They're good people,' they said.
"But I told them that couldn't be true.
"They must be lying."
'With the collapse of the empire,
'more than six million soldiers and civilians are returning home.
'Kunimitsu lida has just arrived from Okinawa.'
"It took three days for us all to get ashore.
"It was the first time in eight years I had been home.
"Then, they sprayed us all over.
"On our heads and up our sleeves.
"We were so hungry. The clothes we had carried were soon exchanged for food.
"All of us were dead tired
"and we had no strength to even talk to each other."
'Kimie Sugino -'
"If only my husband would come back alive.
"I wouldn't care what state he was in.
"I just prayed that he would come back for the children
"and for me.
"As I waited, I received an official report.
"He had died in the Philippines.
"I cried and cried.
"When my tears had dried up,
"I made up my mind to be a father for my three children."
'For those returning to Japan,
'the scars of war are everywhere.
'In Nagasaki and Hiroshima,
'many survivors of the atom bombs
'face a lingering death from radiation sickness.
'Dr. Michihiko Hachiya -'
"Patients have come like an avalanche.
"The majority are badly burned.
"All are critically ill.
"People who appeared to be recovering have developed new symptoms.
"So many patients are now dying without our understanding why.
"We are all in despair."
'14-year-old Senji Yamaguchi -'
"A fierce pain jolted my body
"as the nurses peeled off the bandages.
"'Please kill me,' I cried.
"There was also a young girl in the hospital
'who, like me, had burns on her face.
"She would have been a beautiful woman if not for those scars.
"The night before her discharge, she hanged herself.
"I refused to let her death dishearten me.
"I vowed to go back to school,
"no matter how many people laughed at my scars."
'Over the next 50 years,
'more than 100,000 people will die from the aftereffects of the radiation.
'By the end of 1945, the Japanese people are facing a bleak future.
'The rice harvest has failed.
'Inflation is rampant.
'The black market is rife.
'Everywhere, food queues stretch through the ruins.
'16-year-old Yoshitaka Kojima -'
"Look at the people of defeated Japan.
"Wooden clogs on their feet.
"The Yanks will laugh because we're in such a poor state.
"People without jobs are everywhere.
"Some have even starved to death.
"Women out to find food are attacked and raped or even killed.
"I think we are going to have a lot more hardship in the future."
'The Allies enforce a range of sweeping reforms
'in an attempt to eradicate all traces of Japan's militaristic past.
'In schools, the old textbooks are destroyed
'and children are taught the benefits of individual freedom and pacifism.'
'There is a new, more democratic constitution.
'Women are given the vote for the first time.
'In an effort to rebuild a nation shattered by war,
'everyone is put to work.
'On 3rd May 1946,
'Japan's leaders are put on trial for war crimes.
'They are accused of waging aggressive war and committing numerous murders.
'Student Takashi Asai -'
"The fearful darkness is passing.
"Those of us who believe in freedom can hardly find a way to express our joy.
"The most important thing for our country
"is to destroy the fanatical militarists.
"The punishment for war criminals must be death."
'By the time the war crimes trials end in 1951,
'almost 4,500 Japanese will be convicted,
'of whom nearly 1,000 will be executed.
'The one key person missing from the trials is Japan's Divine Ruler.
'When there are widespread calls in the West to prosecute the Emperor himself,
'there is a flood of letters to the head of the occupying powers.'
"To the honorable General MacArthur.
"In our country, the Emperor is above God.
"If something should happen to His Majesty,
"we would lose our purpose in life."
"The Emperor made the country go to war
"with more power and authority than Hitler.
"If this man is allowed to escape punishment, there will be no justice."
"If it ever happens that His Majesty is brought to trial,
"many Japanese would hold a tremendous hatred
"towards all Americans.
"I beg with you this petition written in my blood."
'With a new Cold War looming,
'the Americans prefer not to bring the Emperor to trial.
'Instead, he is sent on a series of carefully orchestrated tours
'of his devastated nation.
'On 7th December 1947,
'he arrives in Hiroshima.
'It is hoped that the Emperor will remain
'a powerful symbol of continuity with the past.
'Student Konokichi Sumiyoshi -'
"We cannot deny that we had high hopes for the old Japan.
"But the fact is that the militarists totally ignored reality.
"Japan has closed itself off and been fearful of the outside world.
"We must create a new nation from the ashes of the old."
'After eight years of fighting,
'during which Japan has lost 2,500,000 dead
'and killed up to 15 million overseas,
'the legacy of Japan's War will be long and painful.'