"With the Divine Spirit of Asahi Hanasaki."

祈りの矢よ飛んでゆけ　鈴の音響かせいま放たれよ。 Oh, arrows of prayer, fly forth. With the chiming of bells resounding, be released now.　 【Title】 The Hell Seen by 15-Year-Old Girls: What the Tragedy of Okinawa’s "Himeyuri Students" Teaches Us Today ■ Introduction Have you ever heard of the "Himeyuri" or the "Himeyuri Student Corps"? Decades ago, young girls who were the same age as today’s high school students were thrust into the middle of a brutal land battle in Japan. "Why did such young, innocent girls have to become victims of war?" "Why were they forced to join a military-like organization?" I believe that asking these simple yet fundamental questions is the first step toward understanding the true preciousness of life. ■ Who Were the "Himeyuri Students"? On March 23, 1945, the U.S. military began its invasion of Okinawa. Students from 21 secondary schools in Okinawa were mobilized for the war effort. Among them were female students aged just 1...