An English-language lecture relating stories of the aerial bombings that devastated Tokyo in the final stages of World War II has been held for foreign visitors to the Japanese capital.
In Tokyo's Koto Ward, the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage held its first lecture in English on Saturday. This was in response to the growing number of non-Japanese visitors to the center in recent years.
The air raids on Tokyo in the early hours of March 10, 1945 decimated a wide area of the city, leaving an estimated 100,000 people dead.
Storyteller Hayakawa Norio has been sharing the experiences of Nishio Shizuko who witnessed the bombing at age six, but this was the first time he told her stories in English.
He related Nishio's account of hearing people who couldn't reach the bomb shelter she was in screaming for help outside. The day after the air raid, she saw charred bodies everywhere.
Hayakawa described how tragic the attacks were. He said the sounds and sights of such devastation scarred Nishio psychologically for many years.
Hayakawa concluded that in wartime, children are always the ones who pay the ultimate price. He said it is important for post-war generations like his to listen to what survivors experienced and think about what their lives must have been like.
A Briton who heard the stories said he was deeply moved. He said stories like this should be shared so that many more people can learn about the war.
Officials at the center are planning to regularly hold English-language lectures of survivors' stories.

Quiz 1:
Where was the first English-language lecture held?
A. In Kyoto, Japan
B. In Koto Ward, Tokyo
C. In Osaka, Japan
D. In Hiroshima, Japan

Quiz 2:
Approximately how many people were estimated to have died in the air raids on Tokyo on March 10, 1945?
A. 50,000
B. 75,000
C. 100,000
D. 150,000

Quiz 3:
What was a key point Hayakawa Norio made regarding the impact of the war on those involved?
A. Children are often the most severely impacted during wartime.
B. Japanese culture prevented many from seeking shelter.
C. The British helped provide shelter for Japanese citizens.
D. The bombing was ultimately beneficial for the Japanese economy.

[Answer block]
Answers:
Quiz 1: B
Quiz 2: C
Quiz 3: A