Japan’s World War II Orphans Tell Their Inspiring Tales Of Resilience And Recovery

TrendingDecember 21, 2021

For the longest time, on August 15 of every calendar year, Japan paid homage to those who lost their lives to World War II. On such occasions, the nation reviewed events that unfolded leading up to that particular 1945 day when Japan surrendered to allies and subsequently brought the Second World War to an end.

Lingering in the shadows were thousands of orphaned children who remained an afterthought for decades. To be precise, it took 75 years for the now-grown children to shed light on yet another bleak part of history. Speaking to The Associated Press, the brave orphans of WWII recounted heartwrenching experiences about the cruelties they endured and also told inspiring tales of resilience and recovery.

Clouds of Doom

The WWII orphans have lived a lifetime’s worth of experiences twice over, all because of what they endured in the past. They might be all grown up now with children, and even grandkids, of their own, but the wounds inflicted by the tumultuous years in history still fester.

Kisako Motoki was just ten years old when clusters of bombs rained upon her Tokyo neighborhood. Her recollection of March 10, 1945, stays fresh in her mind because that’s when the war robbed her of any semblance of a normal childhood. On that particular day, she hid inside a shelter her father dug out behind their home.