Photo/Illutration Chiba City’s Digital Peace Museum features a range of historical materials and personal accounts from World War II. (Captured from the website)

CHIBA--To mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, the local government here set up an online archive to preserve and share memories of the devastating wartime air raids over the city.

The Chiba Digital Peace Museum features video testimonies from survivors of the 1945 U.S. bombings as well as a range of historical materials and personal accounts. They include photos of air raid damage and military artifacts, diaries of Japanese soldiers who fought overseas and maps of local war-related heritage sites.

The online platform kicked off on June 10, marking the 80th anniversary of the first of two major air raids over the city that resulted in hundreds of casualties.

The project’s mission to preserve and pass on the legacy of war is fast becoming a challenge as the war generation fades into history.

One of the featured videos includes testimony by Fumiko Takayama, who was in second grade when the city came under attack from the air.

“As we ran to the bomb shelter, I thought I was going to die,” she recalled.

Trapped under a collapsed door, she managed to crawl out through a gap in the broken glass.

“All I felt was overwhelming joy that I had survived and could see my mother’s face again,” she said.

City authorities felt compelled to act after a 2022 online survey it carried out revealed that 44.5 percent of respondents were unaware the city had been bombed during the war.

In an effort to reach younger audiences, the museum also includes short, visually engaging videos with narration, based on testimonies and events.

Packed with military facilities and factories, Chiba was one of the key targets of U.S. air raids that swept across the country.

During the June 10 attack, a munitions factory, a nearby school and a railway facility were bombed, resulting in more than 390 casualties with more than 400 homes damaged.

A subsequent attack on July 7 that used incendiary bombs burned most of the city center, causing more than 1,200 casualties with more than 8,400 homes damaged.

Related News