Former Uzurano airfield, which now belongs to Kasai City, Hyogo, was one of the training fields for Tokko (special mission) pilots. The 1200m airstrip is still intact. From february, 1945 young pilots were trained to go on the mission. There is a tiny history room managed by a local community group – photos, medals, flags as well as letters to familities are housed. A tool box that belongs to a (then) 90 year old man who was only 15 and worked as a mechanics at the field. Outside there is a step he used to work on the plane.
The near-by train station Hokkeguchi was where families farewelled the young boys, many of whom they did not see again. During the trainign, menbers of the surrounding communities hosted the trainees who would be missing their familites, and today, some families even keep the young man’s photograph in their alter.
Now renovated with new interpretation signs, Uzurano tells the stories of these young pilots, as well as the community who “want to tell the correct stories, and give justice to these young men, who had life, who had familities and most importantly, who had future.
