American soldiers we had a grudge as an enemy were kinder than the teacher who had preached the doctrine.

Seizen Nakasone 

 

 

Nakasone, a teacher who lead female students who had been mobilized for nursing injured soldiers in Okinawa, left behind a seriously wounded student during the rout. After a miserable battle, he meets again with the student who was rescued by the US military at the hospital and thinks like the above. And he shudders at the thought of "the crime committed by the entire Japanese state specifically showed up through me" and anguishes. The dying student gave him even the words of gratitude. From "Notes of people over the Himeyuri-no-tou Tower".

 

November 11,  2017

from “Oriori no Kotoba” by Kiyokazu Washida, The Asahi Shimbun