沖縄おきなわ 伊江いえ島とうで沖縄おきなわ戦せんの戦没せんぼつ者しゃ20人にん分ぶんの遺骨いこつか 映画えいが製作せいさく中ちゅうに発見はっけん

Last year, during the production of a film based on true stories from that time, remains believed to be those of approximately 20 war dead were newly discovered on Iejima in the northern part of Okinawa Island, known as a microcosm of the Battle of Okinawa, according to investigations by the prefecture and others.

The discovery of remains on Ie Island is the first in about 20 years.

On Ie Island, after the landing of American forces on April 16, 1945, approximately 2,000 former Japanese soldiers were killed in a six-day ground battle, and residents were caught in the fighting or had nowhere to escape, leading to mass suicides. Approximately 1,500 residents, about half of the islands population at the time, became victims.

To coincide with the 80th anniversary, a film titled The Army on the Tree, based on a true story from that time, was shot last year on Ie Island. During the process, it was discovered through interviews with the prefecture and Ie Village that remains believed to be those of war dead were found.

In August last year, at a material storage site in Nishie-mae, Ie Village, it is reported that while a landscaper was digging a hole to temporarily plant trees for a movie, remains were discovered along with helmets and canteens believed to belong to the former Japanese military.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, they are conducting an analysis of remains equivalent to those of 20 people.

According to the prefecture, the discovery of new remains on Ie Island is the first in approximately 20 years since fiscal year 2003.

Mr. Hiroki Chinen, who found the remains, said, I dug with a sense of mission to return them to the bereaved family as soon as possible.

In Okinawa, the collection of remains continues in various places, and even after 80 years, the effects of the war persist.

The movie that served as an inspiration is The Army on the Tree, a work based on a true story where, amid fierce battles on Iejima Island where approximately 2,000 soldiers of the former Japanese army perished, two soldiers saved their lives by hiding in a large banyan tree.

In Ie Island, for many years, this banyan tree has been a place to convey the importance of life and to pass on the message of peace.

However, due to the typhoon the year before last, only a part of it remained standing, so for the movie, a large banyan tree was transplanted from another location on the island to the park where the filming took place. It was reported that during the process of digging a hole for this work, human remains were discovered.

Hira Kazuhiro, who serves as the director of the film, said, I was surprised to hear that remains were found during the shooting.

At the same time, thinking that I might not have found it if it werent for the filming of this movie, I felt sad.

I want to let them return to their family soon.

He said, When remains are discovered, I feel that this is the site, the place where we live is a war site, and I realized that we have to face it again.