Visit Matsumoto

The third installment in a series that uncovers the truth behind the “total annihilation” (mass suicides) forced upon the people of Okinawa and the “comfort women” and “military personnel” brought from Korea. The title is an Okinawan phrase that conveys the joy of life. In March 1945, following the U.S. military’s landing on the Kerama Islands, a tragedy of total annihilation unfolded under orders from the Japanese military.In 2005, former squadron commanders and others filed the “Oe-Iwanami Okinawa War Trial,” arguing that no order to commit suicide had been issued, leading to the removal of the term “military order” from textbooks. In pursuit of the truth, the filmmakers returned to Okinawa. They gathered new testimonies from men who heard the orders for “total annihilation” and from bereaved families. Through the testimonies of 27 individuals, the film portrays the resentment (“han”) felt by Okinawans, as well as that of Korean “military personnel” and “comfort women.”