80 Years On: 3 Generations Pass On Memory of Toyama Air Raid

   Toyama, Aug. 2 (Jiji Press)--A three-generation family in the central Japan city of Toyama is working to pass on to future generations the memory of a massive air raid that occurred 80 years ago.
   In the air raid, which occurred shortly before the end of World War II, U.S. B-29 bombers destroyed 99.5 pct of Toyama's urban area. According to the city, over 500,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on the city center before dawn, killing over 2,700 people.
   "Everything around me was engulfed in flames," said Susumu Sato, 90, who was 10 years old at the time of the bombing. "It's a miracle that I survived."
   In 2001, Sato joined a civic group dedicated to passing on experiences of the Toyama air raid to future generations. He gave speeches mainly at elementary and junior high schools in Toyama Prefecture, sharing his story with around 20,000 people.
   But Sato's health began to decline, prompting frequent hospitalizations from around 2019. The number of people sharing their stories of the air raid was also decreasing.

(2025/08/02-17:11)