沖縄慰霊の日 　　Okinawa Memorial Day

先週、6月23日でした。

沖縄戦の日本人戦死者は沖縄県と県外の住民と軍人の人数を合わせれば約23万人といわれています。そして、第二次世界大戦の日本人全戦没者は実に310万人です。

第二次世界大戦のニュースは沖縄慰霊の日、原爆記念日、敗戦記念日などを通じて毎年、数回見聞きしています。

私のおじ（伯父）は当時、通信兵として沖縄に向かう途中で乗っていた船が撃沈され、27歳で戦死し、髪の毛一本も残されていません。

これらの記念日の日々が来ると私は必ず彼を思い出します。そして、同時に、310万人もの戦没者を生んだ戦争の責任追及のいい加減さに憤りを感じます。

ドイツなどに比べて、日本の戦後処理は実にいいかげんでしたので、戦犯でもすぐに政治に復帰し、更にその家系が恥じらうこともなく日本の進路を決める舞台に立っています（した）。

日本人として受けた被害とともに日本が外国に与えた加害を忘れてはいけません。

It was June 23 last week.

It is said that the total number of Japanese war dead in the Battle of Okinawa was about 230,000, including residents and military personnel from Okinawa Prefecture and other prefectures. The total number of Japanese casualties in World War II was as many as 3.1 million.

We see and hear the news about World War II several times a year, including on Okinawa Memorial Day, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, and the anniversary of the war's end.

My uncle, a radio operator then, was killed in the war at the age of 27 when the ship he was on was sunk on its way to Okinawa, and not a hair of his was left behind.

I always remember him when these memorial days come. And at the same time, I feel indignant at the laxity in the pursuit of responsibility for the war that resulted in 3.1 million war dead.

Compared to Germany and other countries, Japan's postwar handling was so lax that even war criminals quickly returned to politics, and their families stood on the stage to decide the course of Japan's future without shame.

We Japanese must not forget the harm Japan has inflicted on foreign countries as well as the damage we have suffered.