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Tokyo Firebombing Survivors Seek Recognition 80 Years After Devastating Attack

The 1945 U.S. firebombing of Tokyo killed over 100,000 civilians in a single night, leaving survivors to fight for acknowledgment and compensation decades later.

Donated colorful origami cranes are displayed at the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, on Feb. 24, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Shizuyo Takeuchi, 94-year-old Tokyo raid survivor, shares her experience in front of a map of the areas damaged during the 1945 Tokyo Firebombing at the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage on Feb. 24, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
St. Luke's International Hospital is seen on Feb. 18, 2025, at in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Shizuyo Takeuchi, 94-year-old Tokyo raid survivor, shares her experience in front of a map of the areas damaged during the 1945 Tokyo Firebombing at the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage on Feb. 24, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Overview

  • The March 10, 1945, firebombing of Tokyo by U.S. forces killed an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people and left over a million homeless, making it one of the deadliest air raids in history.
  • Survivors, many now in their 80s and 90s, are advocating for financial aid and government recognition of their suffering, which has been largely overlooked compared to victims of the atomic bombings.
  • The Japanese government has provided extensive welfare for military veterans and atomic bombing survivors but has not offered compensation to civilian victims of firebombings.
  • Efforts to preserve the memories of the attack include a museum founded by a survivor and ongoing digitization of survivor accounts and artifacts to educate future generations.
  • The morality of the firebombing campaign remains a topic of debate, with some arguing it was a necessary measure to hasten the end of World War II, while others condemn it as indiscriminate and inhumane.