NHK Documentary S2020E33: The Battle of Okinawa
- Aired: 2020-11-01
- Time: 16:10:00
- Runtime: 50 minutes
Overview
70 years have passed since the last land battle of World War II left 120,000 Okinawan civilians dead, along with a nearly equal number of Japanese and American soldiers. Newly uncovered archives and data on casualties are analyzed to create a vivid timeline and map of the devastating 12-week long battle. Accounts of survivors and battlefield historians depict a battle of attrition that became more indiscriminate as the weeks passed. A beautiful, subtropical island was transformed into a burnt wasteland, as the clashing armies fought a ferocious battle that fused warriors and civilians in death.