Survivors Demand Recognition and Compensation 80 Years On

A Survivor's Story

Shizuko Nishio was just a child when American bombers turned her city into a fiery inferno. It was the night of March 10, 1945, and the Tokyo firebombing, a brutal attack that killed an estimated 100,000 civilians, was about to unfold.

Nishio, now 86, vividly remembers the air raid sirens that shattered the night's silence. She and her mother fled to a school basement, seeking refuge from the impending onslaught. But the shelter was already packed, and they were forced to move to another.

The next morning, Nishio learned the horrifying fate of her cousin and the nurse who had stayed behind. They were among the 200 people who perished in the first shelter, "cooked alive" as the flames raged outside. Nishio was the sole survivor of her 20-child kindergarten class.

The B-29s unleashed a devastating rain of fire, targeting the densely populated Shitamachi neighborhoods with napalm-filled bombs. The traditional Japanese-style homes, built of wood and paper, were no match for the inferno. Over 41 square kilometers of the city were reduced to ashes, leaving a million people homeless.

Despite the immense suffering it caused, the Tokyo firebombing has been largely overshadowed by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki later that year. It remains a forgotten tragedy, relegated to the darkest corners of Japan's collective memory.

Nishio, like many other survivors, carries the scars of that night. The war in Ukraine has brought back painful memories, reminding her of the little girl she once was, huddled in a shelter, surrounded by fear and uncertainty.

The survivors of the Tokyo firebombing are demanding recognition and compensation for their suffering. They believe that a public monument and an archive of their testimonies are crucial to ensure that this tragedy is never forgotten.

As Nishio says, "It is absolutely right that we honor the victims and survivors of the atomic bombings, but we should also remember the Tokyo firebombing and look ahead to how we must never let something like that happen again.