Did you know that Osaka was firebombed during World War II? Sadly, I can’t tell you anything specific about \u5927\u8c4a\u6a4b, the bridge we are standing on right now, in connection to the bombing of Osaka.
But, I can tell you about another city that was bombed. Let’s talk about Toyohashi. It was a strategic bombing operation on June 19, 1945. This was part of the Allies’ air raids on Japan during the Pacific War.
Toyohashi was an important transportation hub. The Tōkaidō Main Line linked Tokyo and Osaka. The Iida and Atsumi Lines gave access to rural areas. The city had a small industrial base. Its port facilities on Mikawa Bay were important.
Toyohashi also had military targets. There was a large training area for Imperial Japanese Army recruits near Aichi University. The headquarters of several army units were also in Toyohashi. The 381st Naval Air Group flew Mitsubishi J2M Raiden interceptors from an airfield there.
There were nine air raids on Toyohashi between January and June 1945. The first eight killed about 25-30 people. These raids are barely mentioned in historical texts. They were probably from Allied bombers hitting Toyohashi as an alternate target.
The ninth raid was the largest. It became known as “The Toyohashi Air Raid”. On June 19, 1945, 136 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses firebombed Toyohashi. The air raid lasted about three hours. Areas affected included downtown between Toyohashi Station and City Hall.
On the same night, other firebombing operations took place. One was in Shizuoka prefecture. The other was the Great Fukuoka Air Raid on Kyushu.
After the Toyohashi Air Raid, authorities compiled data. 624 people died. 346 were injured. 16009 households were affected. 68502 people were affected overall. 15886 houses were damaged.
Buildings destroyed included five temples and Azumada Elementary School. The Kawai Hospital was destroyed but rebuilt. It is now the Oshima Orthopedic Clinic. In 1946, the United States Army Air Forces estimated that 61.9% of the city was destroyed.
Casualties were relatively light in Toyohashi. This was partly due to lessons learned from air raids on Hamamatsu. Hamamatsu had suffered more since its first air raid in February 1945.
Though I can’t directly link this tragic event to \u5927\u8c4a\u6a4b, it’s a stark reminder of the impact of war and the resilience of the Japanese people. It also gives an idea of what Osaka went through. As we cross this bridge, let’s take a moment to reflect on history.