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Japan Times
14-07-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Man inspired as a boy by WWII-era commando questions Japan's past actions
On the night of May 24, 1945, near the end of World War II, Giretsu Kuteitai — an airborne special forces unit of the Imperial Japanese Army deployed to execute attack missions on U.S. forces in Okinawa Prefecture as a last-ditch attempt to reduce and delay U.S. bombing raids on Japan's mainland — departed the now-defunct Kengun airport in the city of Kumamoto. Twelve aircraft carrying 168 commandos headed to Okinawa Prefecture to conduct forced landings on an airfield that had been brought under the control of the U.S. military. While one of the planes made a successful crash landing at an airfield in the village of Yomitan in Okinawa Prefecture during the night, its paratroopers catching U.S. troops off guard and blowing up a large number of parked U.S. aircraft, most of them were shot down. A total of 113 Japanese soldiers died in the mission. Ex-serviceman Izumi Murakami, 92, of the city of Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, used to live near the Kengun airport during the war. It was his childhood exchanges with a Giretsu Kuteitai member that led to his aspirations of following a similar path. After the war, Murakami went on to work for the radar unit of the National Police Reserve — the predecessor of the Ground Self-Defense Force — and then for the radar unit of the Air Self-Defense Force. It was during his career that he came to realize the huge gap between the military capabilities of Japan and the United States during World War II. 'I now feel sorry for the soldiers who were ordered to participate in a battle that couldn't be won in any way,' he said. In 1945, when Murakami was walking by some Imperial Japanese Army barracks, a soldier called out to him through a window. 'What grade are you in? How many brothers or sisters do you have?' the boy was asked. Impressed by the soldier's Tohoku accent and well-trained body, Murakami was delighted at the chance to have a friendly talk with the soldier. Every time he passed by the barracks on his way home from his older sister's house, he looked up the soldier and they engaged in casual conversation. But one day, he noticed that the soldier was gone and the barracks had been left tidied up. When he told his mother about his discovery, she told him, 'They flew away last night.' He later learned that the soldier was a member of Giretsu Kuteitai. Relatives of the Imperial Japanese Army's Giretsu Kuteitai commandos killed in a May 1945 mission attend a memorial held on May 25 in Kumamoto. | Nishinippon Shimbun The news of the Giretsu Kuteitai attack was trumpeted in the headlines of the May 26, 1945, issue of the Nishinippon Shimbun. The newspaper reported on how the aircraft deployed from Kumamoto destroyed the facilities of enemy forces one after another and crippled their air supremacy. For Murakami, who was then a militaristic boy at the home front, members of the unit were heroes. 'I really wanted to be like them.' At the time, Murakami's house was located near a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries aircraft factory that manufactured heavy bombers, which had come under attack several times since around 1944. Frustrated by the Imperial Japanese Army's complete failure in intercepting such attacks, in 1945, Murakami took an entrance exam for a training school for young pilots recruiting students as young as 14. 'I was willing to be dispatched to the front immediately if I had been ordered to do so,' he said. But the war ended without him receiving any notice from the school about whether he had been accepted or not. Seven years later, he joined the National Police Reserve and was assigned to its radar unit. Murakami was sent to the U.S. base in the city of Fukuoka for training, and it was there that he saw with his own eyes the technical prowess of the U.S. military. At the time, the U.S. forces had the ability to very quickly and precisely detect numbers of enemy aircraft, their location, the direction they were headed to and their speed. Murakami was told that the U.S. forces had used the same equipment during the war. The Japanese forces' actions were "reckless,' he said. 'Even though the special attack aircraft were skimming the surface of the sea, it must have been easy (for the U.S. forces) to detect them.' He also experienced security threats during the Cold War in the 1950s when Soviet warplanes flew close to Japanese airspace. 'We were prompted to scramble fighter jets in response all the time,' he said, adding that he was constantly imagining what would have happened in the event of an attack on Japan. While it has been a while since his retirement, Murakami continues to worry about the possibility of the ASDF's Kasuga Air Base, which is located near his home, becoming the target of attacks amid a tense global security environment. To this day, he still remembers the courageous but melancholic expression of the Giretsu Kuteitai member who inspired him so much. 'There is nothing good that comes out of war,' Murakami said of what he had learned in the 80 years since the end of World War II. This section features topics and issues from the Kyushu region covered by the Nishinippon Shimbun, the largest daily newspaper in Kyushu. The original article was published May 26.
Hypebeast
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Kiko Kostadinov SS26 Transports Audiences to a Fictional Island
Summary Kiko Kostadinov, the acclaimed London-based designer, today unveiled hisSpring/Summer 2026collection duringParis Fashion Week, inviting the audience into a captivating narrative spanning a single day on a secluded, imagined island. This presentation, intentionally distanced from external trends, immersed viewers in the distinct rhythms of everyday life in a place defined by its self-contained nature. The show's staging itself mirrored the progression of time, with lighting shifts tracing the hours and garments appearing in a gentle, sequential flow. This unhurried reveal allowed the collection's central focus—its diverse materials—to truly command attention. The morning's tranquility was captured in the relaxed elegance of pieces, featuring silhouettes reminiscent of Bulgarian military pyjamas, rendered in abstract paisley twill and crinkled floral cotton. As the day advanced, the collection transitioned into functional, intuitively assembled workwear, showcasing technical stretch twill trousers, shorts, and jackets, alongside denim two-pieces and cotton jumpsuits. The narrative then built towards the sophistication of evening attire, with ruched and cropped blazers, deeply pleated trousers, and long coats featuring K-dart construction. Notably, this season marked the debut of bespoke suiting crafted in Japan for the label. Kostadinov's deep exploration of textiles was evident in the rich array of fabrics, often combined in both harmonious and unexpected ways. Lightweight twill, tactile mesh, contra-stitched leather and finely woven kasuri cotton underscored a profound emphasis on sensory experience. Specialized treatments permeated the collection, including stonewash on Japanese denim, resist-dyed knits and over-dyed jersey inspired by traditional Yomitan pottery glazes, all designed to convey a lived-in feel and the subtle weathering of materials over time. Following the ideals of wabi-sabi, the need for perfection ins not necessary, but rather the focus on the transient nature of materials is meant to be appreciated and imperfection is accepted. Furthermore, a spotlight shone on fine tailoring fabrics, many of which were custom-produced with Lanificio Luigi Ricceri in Prato, resulting in a unique hand-feel and appearance across materials like raised-stripe cotton, intricate mosaic wools, and waved seersucker-like wool. Amidst the meticulously planned progression, accessories introduced new fabric bags recalling Bulgarian bagpipes and shepherd pouches, alongside lightweight flip-flops and patterned canvas runners reappeared, featuring a gradient finish and a vintage 1960s typographic logo. Kiko Kostadinov's SS26 collection stands as a masterclass in conceptual narrative allowing clothing to become a subtle, tactile chronicle of an enchanting day.
ABC News
25-06-2025
- ABC News
US marine jailed for seven years for sexual assault in Japan amid anger over crimes by US personnel
A court on the Japanese island of Okinawa has sentenced a US marine to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman last year. The sentencing on Tuesday concluded that the victim's testimony demonstrated a "high level of credibility", the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported. Marine Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton, 22, was accused of injuring a woman in her 20s by choking her while attempting to rape her. He pleaded not guilty in the case and denied having any sexual intent or using physical force against her. In handing down the ruling, Naha District Court's Presiding Judge Kazuhiko Obata described the victim's account as "precise and authentic," while noting that she reported the incident to both the police and a friend shortly afterward. "The woman was attacked suddenly. She foresaw her own death which caused her tremendous mental anguish. She is still suffering from the effects," NHK quoted the judge as saying. The judge also said blood spots found in her eyes after the assault matched a forensic scientist's assessment that such symptoms appear only when the neck is compressed continuously for at least one to two minutes. According to the ruling, Clayton choked the woman from behind in Yomitan, Okinawa, on the morning of May 26 last year and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her by unbuttoning her pants. She sustained injuries to both eyes that required about two weeks of treatment. Prosecutors had demanded 10 years in prison. Clayton's lawyer said the defendant is considering appealing the ruling. The US has around 50,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on the southern island of Okinawa. Their strategic role is seen as increasingly important for the Japan-US military alliance in the face of growing tensions with China. But anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members. In June last year, a 21-year-old US marine was charged with rape. This was just three months after Okinawa prosecutors had charged a 25-year-old US soldier for allegedly assaulting a girl under 16. Okinawa's governor, Denny Tamaki, opposes the heavy US troop presence, and has expressed anger about alleged crime related to US military bases. Following the two sexual assault cases last year, Mr Tamaki said he was "speechless and outraged". He stressed the need to "reconstruct" the communication system in case of crime and accidents involving US service members. The cases act as a reminder to many Okinawans of the high-profile 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers, which sparked massive protests against the heavy US troop presence on the island. It led to calls for a rethink of the 1960 pact allowing the US to station soldiers in Japan. Rules about how to treat crimes committed by US military personnel are stipulated in the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said when he took office in October that he wanted to review the rules. In April, US soldiers were joined by Japanese officials and residents in Okinawa for a one-off joint night-time patrol. It was the first such joint operation since 1973, where participants walked along streets lined with restaurants, bars and music clubs in the vicinity of a US air base. The joint patrol was to reflect a "continued commitment to partnership, accountability and mutual respect", the US Department of Defense said in a statement. The US military is transferring some of the troops from Okinawa to the Pacific territory of Guam, a process that began last year. ABC/wires
NHK
10-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Defense minister apologizes for dud bomb explosion in Okinawa
Japan's Defense Minister Nakatani Gen has apologized for a dud bomb explosion in the southern prefecture of Okinawa that injured four Japanese Self-Defense Force personnel. The minor explosion occurred on Monday at a depot on the premises of the US military's Kadena Ammunitions Storage Area in Yomitan Village. Four Self-Defense Force personnel suffered burns and other injuries. The depot is controlled by the prefecture. Nakatani apologized for the accident on Tuesday, adding that no damage has been confirmed so far around the depot. He said he has set up an investigative panel in the Ground Self-Defense Force to look into the cause of the blast and measures to prevent a recurrence. Nakatani said his ministry will continue work to recover unexploded bombs, while ensuring safety. He said if the work is stopped, duds found by local residents will have to be left where they are, disrupting people's daily lives.
NHK
09-06-2025
- NHK
Explosion at US base in southern Japan injures 4 SDF members
An explosion at a US military base in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, has injured four members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces. Police say fire officials informed them of the blast in Yomitan Village on Monday morning. Prefectural officials say the blast occurred at a temporary warehouse for unexploded bombs. The facility, located in the Kadena ammunition storage area, is overseen by the prefectural government. The officials say none of the four injured SDF personnel is in life-threatening condition.
