NAGANO ¨C The former Japanese military¡¯s preparations for a possible battle in the country¡¯s mainland in the closing days of World War II remain etched in the memories of residents of a former town in central Japan, where a replacement military headquarters was being constructed.
Facing the growing threat of defeat, the military planned to move its headquarters from Tokyo to an area including the town of Matsushiro, now a part of the city of Nagano. The replacement headquarters was not completed, but construction continued until Aug. 15, 1945, the day of Japan¡¯s surrender in the war.
Yoshinobu Mashima, 96, was mobilized in April 1945 for construction work on Mount Maizuru, in a village neighboring Matsushiro. Then a third-year high school student, he and his classmates gathered at school each morning without being informed of their tasks, and went to work under the direction of military engineers.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.