David Fedman
@dfeds.bsky.social
historian of japan/korea/the environment | words: davidfedman.org | digital archive: JapanAirRaids.org | film: https://papercityfilm.com/
TIL that the design for 記憶の場所, the memorial to Tokyo's air raid victims that sits in Yokoamicho park, was inspired by the sculpture and land art of Andy Goldsworthy.
You MUST watch Rivers & Tides if you haven't seen it before
You MUST watch Rivers & Tides if you haven't seen it before
February 13, 2026 at 10:14 PM
TIL that the design for 記憶の場所, the memorial to Tokyo's air raid victims that sits in Yokoamicho park, was inspired by the sculpture and land art of Andy Goldsworthy.
You MUST watch Rivers & Tides if you haven't seen it before
You MUST watch Rivers & Tides if you haven't seen it before
“Model airplanes,” a thoroughly depressing cartoon from a May 1943 issue of 国民防空
[Child A] “Your airplane flies well.”
Child B] “But it jumped into someone’s garden and won't come back.”
[Child A] “What are you talking about? That’s an excellent suicide attack.”
[Child A] “Your airplane flies well.”
Child B] “But it jumped into someone’s garden and won't come back.”
[Child A] “What are you talking about? That’s an excellent suicide attack.”
February 13, 2026 at 9:13 PM
“Model airplanes,” a thoroughly depressing cartoon from a May 1943 issue of 国民防空
[Child A] “Your airplane flies well.”
Child B] “But it jumped into someone’s garden and won't come back.”
[Child A] “What are you talking about? That’s an excellent suicide attack.”
[Child A] “Your airplane flies well.”
Child B] “But it jumped into someone’s garden and won't come back.”
[Child A] “What are you talking about? That’s an excellent suicide attack.”
Ward level data also testifies to the uneven pace of recovery. Compare Suginami ward’s rate of 30 percent (3,475 houses built for the 10,600 destroyed) with that of Honjo ward’s 6 percent (3,100 units for 48,155 destroyed) and Fukagawa ward’s 7 percent (3,100 for 42,600 destroyed).
February 12, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Ward level data also testifies to the uneven pace of recovery. Compare Suginami ward’s rate of 30 percent (3,475 houses built for the 10,600 destroyed) with that of Honjo ward’s 6 percent (3,100 units for 48,155 destroyed) and Fukagawa ward’s 7 percent (3,100 for 42,600 destroyed).
In 1948, Japan's Construction Ministry conducted a census of housing reconstruction. It found that the city with the highest recovery rate was...Sendai, leading the nation at 80 percent.
Tokyo was among the lowest in the country at 34 percent.
Tokyo was among the lowest in the country at 34 percent.
February 12, 2026 at 7:07 AM
In 1948, Japan's Construction Ministry conducted a census of housing reconstruction. It found that the city with the highest recovery rate was...Sendai, leading the nation at 80 percent.
Tokyo was among the lowest in the country at 34 percent.
Tokyo was among the lowest in the country at 34 percent.
for readers of Japanese, a map drawing on the same data from my collaborators (Kanno and Negishi) of Tokyo's damage tree distribution
The key takeaway: the majority of these trees sit on the edges of burn zones, hinting at the role they played in yake tomari -- fire suppression
The key takeaway: the majority of these trees sit on the edges of burn zones, hinting at the role they played in yake tomari -- fire suppression
February 11, 2026 at 2:49 AM
for readers of Japanese, a map drawing on the same data from my collaborators (Kanno and Negishi) of Tokyo's damage tree distribution
The key takeaway: the majority of these trees sit on the edges of burn zones, hinting at the role they played in yake tomari -- fire suppression
The key takeaway: the majority of these trees sit on the edges of burn zones, hinting at the role they played in yake tomari -- fire suppression
Three years of fieldwork and hundreds of kilometers clocked walking Tokyo, and we at last have a comprehensive catalog of Tokyo's "war-damaged trees" (戦災樹木), the 200+ trees that carry the scars of wartime firestorms in their morphology
February 11, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Three years of fieldwork and hundreds of kilometers clocked walking Tokyo, and we at last have a comprehensive catalog of Tokyo's "war-damaged trees" (戦災樹木), the 200+ trees that carry the scars of wartime firestorms in their morphology
not sure what i'd do without AI at this point
February 7, 2026 at 6:11 AM
not sure what i'd do without AI at this point
Pictorial Map of the Great European War (歐洲大戰漫畫地圖), a Japanese map from 1939 showing combat in Poland while the rest of Europe looks on
February 6, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Pictorial Map of the Great European War (歐洲大戰漫畫地圖), a Japanese map from 1939 showing combat in Poland while the rest of Europe looks on
Tired: witness protection programs
Wired:
Wired:
February 5, 2026 at 3:13 AM
Tired: witness protection programs
Wired:
Wired:
TIL about the legend of the "surrender tree" at Appomattox
February 4, 2026 at 8:00 PM
TIL about the legend of the "surrender tree" at Appomattox
Shelters takes on new meaning in early postwar.
The man entering the shelter is wearing a shirt labeled “capitalist” and holding bags marked “tax evasion.” Shidehara at the top screams “This is an alert for property tax and profits tax”
From Kato Etsurō, Okurareta kakumei (1946)
The man entering the shelter is wearing a shirt labeled “capitalist” and holding bags marked “tax evasion.” Shidehara at the top screams “This is an alert for property tax and profits tax”
From Kato Etsurō, Okurareta kakumei (1946)
January 30, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Shelters takes on new meaning in early postwar.
The man entering the shelter is wearing a shirt labeled “capitalist” and holding bags marked “tax evasion.” Shidehara at the top screams “This is an alert for property tax and profits tax”
From Kato Etsurō, Okurareta kakumei (1946)
The man entering the shelter is wearing a shirt labeled “capitalist” and holding bags marked “tax evasion.” Shidehara at the top screams “This is an alert for property tax and profits tax”
From Kato Etsurō, Okurareta kakumei (1946)
From a June 1938 NYT editorial calling for the US to boycott the 1940 Olympiad in Tokyo:
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
January 28, 2026 at 3:25 PM
From a June 1938 NYT editorial calling for the US to boycott the 1940 Olympiad in Tokyo:
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
From a June 1938 editorial from the NYT calling for the US to boycott the 1940 Olympiad in Tokyo:
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
January 28, 2026 at 6:07 AM
From a June 1938 editorial from the NYT calling for the US to boycott the 1940 Olympiad in Tokyo:
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
Hint, hint, nudge, nudge....
just about says it all
January 21, 2026 at 9:48 PM
just about says it all
The gamification of air raid memory is a topic screaming out for more research. If anyone's been to the Showakan, you may recall seeing "Little Kazuo's air raid shelter," an in-house video game that puts you in the shoes of a kid taking shelter
I get the intent, but risk of trivialization is real
I get the intent, but risk of trivialization is real
January 21, 2026 at 9:19 PM
The gamification of air raid memory is a topic screaming out for more research. If anyone's been to the Showakan, you may recall seeing "Little Kazuo's air raid shelter," an in-house video game that puts you in the shoes of a kid taking shelter
I get the intent, but risk of trivialization is real
I get the intent, but risk of trivialization is real
Ishigami lamented the proliferation of war comics, which sanitized the war of its cruelty.
A source of particular concern was the 1977 release of
Universal's "B-29," a first person shooter arcade game
A source of particular concern was the 1977 release of
Universal's "B-29," a first person shooter arcade game
January 21, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Ishigami lamented the proliferation of war comics, which sanitized the war of its cruelty.
A source of particular concern was the 1977 release of
Universal's "B-29," a first person shooter arcade game
A source of particular concern was the 1977 release of
Universal's "B-29," a first person shooter arcade game
reading the memoir of Ishigami Masao, a primary school teacher in Tokyo's Koto Ward, who grew alarmed at the withering of war consciousness of among students.
He grew so alarmed he conducted a poll in 1970, which found that while 58% knew of Hiroshima, a bare 15% knew of raids on their own city
He grew so alarmed he conducted a poll in 1970, which found that while 58% knew of Hiroshima, a bare 15% knew of raids on their own city
January 21, 2026 at 9:19 PM
reading the memoir of Ishigami Masao, a primary school teacher in Tokyo's Koto Ward, who grew alarmed at the withering of war consciousness of among students.
He grew so alarmed he conducted a poll in 1970, which found that while 58% knew of Hiroshima, a bare 15% knew of raids on their own city
He grew so alarmed he conducted a poll in 1970, which found that while 58% knew of Hiroshima, a bare 15% knew of raids on their own city
A Danish veteran's letter to the US (sharing from Reddit):
January 20, 2026 at 6:15 AM
A Danish veteran's letter to the US (sharing from Reddit):
Today feels like a good day to spotlight the recent appeal made by Kurihara Toshio, one of the preeminent Japanese reporters on the war memory beat, to journalists covering war today.
Its drawn from his research on the failures of Japan's media establishment in the 1930s:
apjjf.org/2025/9/fedman
Its drawn from his research on the failures of Japan's media establishment in the 1930s:
apjjf.org/2025/9/fedman
January 19, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Today feels like a good day to spotlight the recent appeal made by Kurihara Toshio, one of the preeminent Japanese reporters on the war memory beat, to journalists covering war today.
Its drawn from his research on the failures of Japan's media establishment in the 1930s:
apjjf.org/2025/9/fedman
Its drawn from his research on the failures of Japan's media establishment in the 1930s:
apjjf.org/2025/9/fedman
Here's a group of Japanese researchers confirming a suspicion I've long had about the oft-cited US Strategic Bomb Survey: that the people interviewed about the effects of the bombings were often among those most removed from their actual impact
January 14, 2026 at 1:22 AM
Here's a group of Japanese researchers confirming a suspicion I've long had about the oft-cited US Strategic Bomb Survey: that the people interviewed about the effects of the bombings were often among those most removed from their actual impact
from yesterday's Kyunghyang Sinmun, a three bear world order
January 9, 2026 at 6:08 AM
from yesterday's Kyunghyang Sinmun, a three bear world order
the geography of temporary burial sites/mass graves dug in Tokyo in the aftermath of air raids
Largest red dots: sites where 10,000 or more were buried
Green dots: location of memorials/cenotaphs
Largest red dots: sites where 10,000 or more were buried
Green dots: location of memorials/cenotaphs
January 5, 2026 at 5:50 AM
the geography of temporary burial sites/mass graves dug in Tokyo in the aftermath of air raids
Largest red dots: sites where 10,000 or more were buried
Green dots: location of memorials/cenotaphs
Largest red dots: sites where 10,000 or more were buried
Green dots: location of memorials/cenotaphs
A Swimming Memorial Service held in Tokyo's Sumida River on March 10, 1985 in recognition of the 1000s who died when they leapt into the river during the firebombing 40 yrs prior
50 participants swam 500m in the frigid Sumida so as to "feel the coldness of that water firsthand and pray for peace"
50 participants swam 500m in the frigid Sumida so as to "feel the coldness of that water firsthand and pray for peace"
January 3, 2026 at 5:09 AM
A Swimming Memorial Service held in Tokyo's Sumida River on March 10, 1985 in recognition of the 1000s who died when they leapt into the river during the firebombing 40 yrs prior
50 participants swam 500m in the frigid Sumida so as to "feel the coldness of that water firsthand and pray for peace"
50 participants swam 500m in the frigid Sumida so as to "feel the coldness of that water firsthand and pray for peace"
A pointed decision by Matsuura Sozo to label the bombing of Tokyo a 北爆 from the Marianas in his landmark 1968 essay on the "hidden history of the Japan air raids"
北爆 was a term reserved for the US bombing campaign against North Vietnam, and Matsuura knew exactly what he was doing in linking the two
北爆 was a term reserved for the US bombing campaign against North Vietnam, and Matsuura knew exactly what he was doing in linking the two
January 2, 2026 at 5:29 AM
A pointed decision by Matsuura Sozo to label the bombing of Tokyo a 北爆 from the Marianas in his landmark 1968 essay on the "hidden history of the Japan air raids"
北爆 was a term reserved for the US bombing campaign against North Vietnam, and Matsuura knew exactly what he was doing in linking the two
北爆 was a term reserved for the US bombing campaign against North Vietnam, and Matsuura knew exactly what he was doing in linking the two