1945←2015: Reflections on Stolen Youth

Fifteen Japanese youth of 1945 share their stories and fifteen modern-day young people write letters to them in thirty pleas for peace that span seven decades. The war survivors were innocent children, students, soldiers, and nurses. They lived on mainland Japan and its islands, the South Pacific, Korea, and China―and all were forced to take on adult roles far beyond their years. This book bears witness to the countless ways war alters forever the lives of everyone involved―even survivors who live well into old age. Originally published in Japanese, 1945・2015: Reflections of Stolen Youth is now available in English thanks to the support of its readers and authors and publisher in Japan. People throughout the world are invited to join us, not in considering war, but learning from the past and thinking about how to make peace.