Otsushima, Yamaguchi prefecture, was where Kaiten (human torpedo) operators were trained. It was one of the 4 bases, built in 1944 to operate to the end of WW2. 104 trainees were dispatched from this site for their mission after only 3 months of training. Each Kaiten carried tons of explosives – only one person was fitted in the pitch dark operator chamber. Like Kamikaze pilots, they knew their journey was a trip of no return, but for them there was no window to look out. Survivors’ stories from 20 years ago are kept in the museum built in 1968. The remaining structures of the site was registered as a Construction Heritage (Chubu Region) in 2006. In the archive video one said how he loves fishing and every time he’s at the sea, he puts his hands in the ocean as to feel the lost lives of his friends. Tourism’s role as a story teller is increasingly important now 73 years after the end of war. Over 15000 people visit the island every year. Today was a beautiful day – the gentle sun was shining on the calm ocean when we looked out from the hill top, once used as a control tower. Islands in Setonaikai (Inland Seas) carry many hidden stories like this.
