Many Japanese were stunned when war
was declared, but early victories in Hong
Kong, Malaya and Singapore quickly
turn to exultation. Japanese boys were
taught the martial code of the Samurai,
ferocious and devoid of pity, for enemy
or self. But by 1942 Japan was fighting
for survival. By 1944 Japan was fighting
shortages of food, metal and fuel. Scarcity of manpower condemned
Japanese women to unfamiliar
laboring. Continued allied bombing
killed a further 250.000 and
rendered 8 million homeless.
But worse was yet to come.
