Boy Soldiers: The Secret War In Okinawa
Directed by Chie Mikami and Hanayo Oya2018 1h 54m
Okinawa, the chain of islands at the southernmost tip of Japan that are currently tattooed by US military bases. These islands became the bulwark to protect the Japanese mainland toward the end of World War II. After the Americans landed and a violent battle ensued, over 200,000 lives were lost, including many civilians. While the bloody war depicted in films such as "Hacksaw Ridge" ensued on the surface, there was another secret war developing in its shadow that not even Japanese people are aware of. For over 70 years after the war, survivors have been afraid to share details of this brutal secret war which left deep scars that still have yet to heal. Guerrilla units composed of 15 and 16-year-old soldiers known as the "Homeland Guard." A forced civilian evacuation ordered by the Japanese army which resulted in a malaria epidemic that killed over 3,600 civilians. A military system enacted to control civilians which ended up encouraging them to mistrust and sometimes even kill innocent people. What sort of part did the young elite generals who had just graduated from the Japanese army's enigmatic "Nakano school" play in this secret war? This documentary connects the dots in this hidden history in order to unveil horrifying truths. This film uncovers Japan's greatest taboos concerning the Battle of Okinawa, and also sounds alarms concerning the recent steps that the modern Japanese and American governments have taken toward remilitarizing Japan.
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