{"id":1752,"date":"2026-09-11T04:47:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T04:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kyotogaidai.org\/ygrp\/?page_id=1752"},"modified":"2026-09-22T01:01:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T01:01:23","slug":"okinawa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kyotogaidai.org\/ygrp\/changemakers-in-the-community-phase-3\/okinawa\/","title":{"rendered":"Loss of Innocence: The Tsushima-Maru Incident – Mr. Hisashi Teruya"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Second World War took place from 1939 to 1945 and it is known for being one of the most devastating conflicts in history. This was due to the total involvement of national powers with all the strength they had; not just military personnel, but also civilians using economic power, and the latest science and technology. Many civilians fell victim to air raids, massacres, and other atrocities. The Pacific War was fought between Japan and the Allied Powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands from December 8, 1941 to August 15, 1945. Japan\u2019s attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and the landing on the Malay Peninsula triggered this conflict. It lasted until Japan\u2019s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration following the U.S. atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Okinawa is the only place in Japan where civilians were involved in a ground battle, called the \u201cBattle of Okinawa.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo of Tsushima-Maru<\/p><\/div>\n

In the summer of 1944, it was clear that Okinawa was going to be a battlefield, so the evacuation of women, children, and elderly people to places such as mainland Japan and Taiwan began. On August 21, the Tsushima-maru departed from Naha Port carrying schoolchildren and other evacuees to Nagasaki. Previously, this 30-year-old cargo ship was used to bring Japanese soldiers from Shanghai, China, to Okinawa. After soldiers arrived in Okinawa for the last time, it was then used to transport the evacuees. 1,788 people including many schoolchildren from Naha City were on board. The Tsushima-maru sailed as part of the Convoy Namo-103, which consisted of three cargo ships \u2013 the Tsushima-maru, Kazuura-maru, and Gyoku-maru \u2013 escorted by the destroyer Hasu and the gunboat Uji.\u00a0 At around 10 p.m. on August 22, the day after departure, the Tsushima-maru was attacked by torpedoes from the U.S. Navy submarine USS Bowfin near Akuseki Island in Kagoshima. It took only about ten minutes for the Tsushima-maru to sink completely. As a result, many people were trapped inside and lost their lives. People who escaped into the sea drifted on rafts and pieces of wood, but many eventually died because of rough waves, hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. Out of 1,788 passengers on board, about 1,484 lost their lives which means only 17% survived. Of those 1,484 who perished, 1,040 were aged 0 to 15 which means about 70% of the victims were children. Of about 843 <\/span>gakudo sokai <\/span><\/i>(pupils\u2019 evacuation) evacuees, only 59 (about 7%) survived. However, the number of <\/span>ippan sokai <\/span><\/i>(general evacuation) evacuees is not known. Some survivors were rescued and taken to Kagoshima while others drifted at sea for several days before reaching Amami Oshima about 150 kilometers from the sinking, where they were rescued and cared for by local people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Course<\/a>

The Course of Tsushima-maru from Okinawa to Nagasaki<\/strong>.
Note. Map created by the authors using a base map from Map Kawaii, and icon adapted from by llustAC. The route of the Tsushima-maru was adapted from: https:\/\/mainichi.jp\/english\/articles\/20240822\/p2a\/00m\/0na\/028000c<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

There are some key points to understand about the Tsushima-maru incident. First, it was an indiscriminate attack on civilians to block the Japanese Army\u2019s supply route completely. The U.S. military was conducting unrestricted submarine warfare from the beginning of the Pacific War. It meant \u201csubmarines shall attack all naval vessels without warning and merchant ships \u2013 whether military or civilian \u2013 deemed to be associated with the enemy nation.\u201d So, the Tsushima-maru was attacked even though it was transporting mainly civilians. At the time, attacking indiscriminately was considered a violation of the law. However, submarines were a \u201cnew weapon\u201d then, and were considered \u201can exempt weapon\u201d to be used freely. During the war, both sides conducted unrestricted submarine warfare. The U.S. military reported that they were not aware that evacuating children were on board. However, they had cracked the Japanese Navy’s codes, and knew the Tsushima-maru\u2019s route, so it was tracked by the USS Bowfin (SS-287). <\/span>During the war, at least 31 ships related to Okinawa were sunk, and two more ships are still being investigated. Most were sunk by torpedo attacks or air raids. Among them, the Tsushima-maru suffered the largest number of deaths.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, the survivors have been suffering from trauma and a \u201cgag order\u201d for their whole lives. The Tsushima-maru accident happened right before their very eyes, and they lost their family and friends. Many survivors reported that they have experienced many flashbacks which made them suffer even more. Some people drifted at sea for as long as six days, creating a great trauma. After being helped at Kyushu, the Japanese Military Police silenced them, and they could not even tell their family about the incident. If they spoke, they were threatened with the death penalty. The Japanese Military hid the fact that the Tsushima-maru sank because they wanted to prevent loss of civilians\u2019 morale, unrest, and resistance to evacuation. Immediately after World War II, 59 children who survived went back to Okinawa and faced a harsh reality: they had lost their families, and their hometown had been completely burned to the ground. In addition, the families who had lost their children blamed the survivors for the loss of their family. To make things worse, the government\u2019s strict policy of covering up the truth about the incident made the survivors suffer more and led to the loss of valuable documents that captured the situation at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interviewee\u2019s Background<\/b><\/h3>\n

We interviewed Hisashi Teruya<\/strong> who is one of the survivors of the Tsushima-maru incident. He was only four years old when the incident occurred. He evacuated with his mother<\/span> on<\/span> ippan sokai<\/span><\/i> (general evacuation) and sister who was on <\/span>gakudo sokai <\/span><\/i>(pupils\u2019 evacuation), boarding with other children on the front of the ship. In <\/span>gakudo sokai<\/span><\/i>, children were evacuated from each school or regional unit with their teachers, and they lived at elementary schools or farmers\u2019 homes after arriving at each destination, and it was well organized. On the other hand, general evacuees traveled individually and went to their relatives\u2019 homes, normally in the countryside. Therefore, it is reported that many evacuees were forced to move around.<\/span><\/p>\n

USS Bowfin\u2019s attack on Tsushima-maru killed Mr. Teruya\u2019s mother and sister. Also, his father who had been deployed to China was interned in Siberia and was made to do hard labor in a severe environment after the war, and eventually died of starvation<\/span>. So, he los<\/span>t his entire family in the war and became a war orphan. After diving into the dark and rough ocean from 10 meters high and drifting for about 16 hours, he was rescued by a teenager on a fishing boat. Then he moved around his relatives\u2019 homes in Kagoshima, Osaka, and Miyaza<\/span>ki. H<\/span>e spent much of his life not telling anyone about his experience; however, he started working as a storyteller at Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum when he was 70 years old.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mr.

Mr. Teruya with his mother, Shige, and sister, Mitsuko<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Mr.

Mr. Teruya at 3 and his sister before the incident<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Interview<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"Mr.

Mr. Teruya during his interview<\/p><\/div>\n

Q: How much do you remember of that period?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Honestly, I have only a few memories because I was just four years old then.\u00a0 What <\/span>I remember the most is when the ship was attacked and I jumped into the sea with my mother. It was sometime after 10 p.m., when the surroundings were silent, and my mother said she was going to look for my older sister. Before she left, she told me not to let go of a barrel we were holding onto. However, that moment was the last time I ever saw her. At that time, I was only four. I could not understand how she would leave such a young child behind and go into the dark, limitless sea. It did not make sense to me then. However, now that I\u2019m an adult, I understand she did what she had to do as a parent. I believe it was a mother\u2019s instinct.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: It doesn\u2019t have to be a whole event but do you have scenes or images you can recall?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I remember the images in my mind. [Before the ship sank], a typhoon had been near Daito Island, and I still have this sensation where the waves pushed me up and down violently. When the waves raised me high up, I could see far away, and when the waves brought me down, I felt as if I was closer to the bottom of the sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: Do you think you still have some trauma from the tragedy you experienced in your childhood?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

After experiencing the Tsushima-maru tragedy, I became afraid of the sea and I hardly ever went to the sea. When I was young, I once slept near the beach during a camping trip, and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach woke me up with the feeling that something was pulling my legs. Because of that, I never went swimming, even in pools. At the time, I was not aware of it, but now, I believe those experiences remained with me as signs of trauma.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: Children were caught up in a war and they lost their families even though they didn\u2019t know the situation. I think you might have friends who had their whole family\u2019s lives taken in the war. During your school life, were there occasions where you talked about it? \u00a0 <\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

There were not many. Of course we should have shared various stori<\/span>es such as incidents during the war, Tsushima-maru, and about their own families. But, we were all casual with each other, so we didn\u2019t worry too much about others and didn’t mention anything about our deep grief. I think that we used to talk about childish topics and acted like kids, just like students today. Actually,<\/span> on the contrary we concentrated on being competitive. We were looking for weak points in our friends and hit them just for fun. For example, there was a \u201cdialect card\u201d (<\/span>hogen fuda<\/span><\/i>) [where you had to wear it as a penalty for talking in the Okinawan language]. This was a game of our childhood. If you were made to wear a dialect card, you looked for another classmate to force it on instead. You stepped on someone\u2019s foot, and then he screamed in Okinawan language instantly, so you could get rid of the dialect card. Doing so, we <\/span>used to think about how we could drag <\/span>someone down. For us, being children, all we did was just be competitive and playful. Even now, we can talk about it with classmates and laugh with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: Why did you become a storyteller of your Tsushima-maru experiences?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

After returning to Okinawa, wherever I went, people in the community and even relatives would say, \u201cThis child survived the Tsushima-maru.\u201d And I hated being talked about. Even after I was over 70, I never voluntarily spoke about the Tsushima-maru. The experience stayed with me like an allergy that I had to deal with. When I retired at 60, I was asked if I would become a storyteller and speak about the Tsushima-maru, but I refused at the time. However, I saw many older storytellers retiring, and I felt that I needed to help while I still could. It was difficult for me to speak in detail about my own experiences, so instead I decided to use historical materials and documents to explain the situation during WWII, and help people understand what had happened.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What do you think about peace education in the future?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Today, the Tsushima-maru is regarded as a part of peace education. However, when I look at the current situations involving Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and Iran, I sometimes wonder whether the world is truly at peace. Even so, I believe that we cannot talk about the future without knowing the past. I think it is important to teach children how irrational and tragic wars are, and they must never happen again. That is why I have continued working as a storyteller for the past fifteen years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"From

From left: Kokoa, Mr. Teruya, and Yu<\/p><\/div>\n

Reflections<\/h3>\n

Before the interview, we had expected <\/span>Mr. Teruya <\/span>to speak more emotionally, knowing what he had gone through; however, he shared his experience in a calm and objective way. <\/span>At the same time, we realized that the experience still has a huge effect on him; he is still afraid of the sea and hasn\u2019t been able to go near water for many year<\/span>s. <\/span>Upon interviewing Mr. Teruya, we asked Ms. Horikiri, a staff member at the Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum, about the storytellers’ background. She told us that most storytellers view the incident objectively and tell the facts like Mr. Teruya.<\/span> It is said that trauma appears differently in each person, and in Mr. Teruya\u2019s case it is somewhat hidden. Even with his trauma, we were impressed with his sense of responsibility to sha<\/span>re his story. Recalling his horrible experience was something he didn\u2019t want to do, but his wish for peace and to promot<\/span>e peace to future generations made him become a storyteller because \u201cwe cannot talk about the future without knowing the past.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This project made us realize how little we knew about Okinawan history, despite having lived in Okinawa for 20 years and having received peace education every year at school. We know that there are a lot of things that we must think about and share with future generations. More than 80 years have passed since the Battle of Okinawa, and we feel a deep fear as the memories of the war fade away day by day. We believe that it is deeply meaningful to preserve the words of those who have traumatic wartime experiences and we would like to continue to learn from the past, pay attention to the world, and think and act with a view toward lasting peace in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

References<\/b><\/h3>\n

Ano hi no Okinawa, 1944 nen 8 gatsu 22 nichi Gakudo sokaisen \u201cTsushima-maru\u201d ga gekichin sareru. [Okinawa on that day, August 22,1944: The evacuation ship Tsushima-maru is sunk]. <\/span>Okinawa Prefectural Archives.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Retrieved July 27, 2026, from <\/span>https:\/\/www.archives.pref.okinawa.jp\/news\/that_day\/4745?utm_source=chatgpt.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cDainiji Sekaitaisen\u201d \u201cDaitoa Senso\u201d to naniga chigau? 12 gatsu 8 nichi ni kaisen shita \u201cTaiheiyo Senso\u201d towa. [What is the Pacific War that began on December 8? How is it different from World War II and the Greater East Asia War?]. (2019, December 8). <\/span>Yahoo! Japan News<\/span><\/i>. July 25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/news.yahoo.co.jp\/articles\/16c923bf3fb7118d17a46955f99d630c2e0ecc18<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Hoi Mark, [Map icons]. n.d., <\/span>illust AC<\/span><\/i>. July 28, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/www.ac-illust.com\/main\/detail.php?id=929279&word=%E6%96%B9%E4%BD%8D%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AF%EF%BC%BB1%EF%BC%BD&searchId=<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Map Kawaii. (n.d.). Nihonchizu todofuken kenmei iri miyasui chiho kara chizu [Map]. [Easy-to-read color-coded map of Japan\u2019s prefecture names]. July 28, 2026 Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/mapkawaii.com\/downloadfree\/dl-9area-text\/index.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

NHK. Umi ni shizunda gakuyutachi: Okinawa Tsushima-maru. [Friends who sank into the sea: Okinawa, Tsushima-maru] <\/span>NHK Archives<\/span><\/i>. July 25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/www2.nhk.or.jp\/archives\/movies\/?id=D0001220031_00000<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryoji, Y. (2016, August 22). Chingekikara 72 nen \u201cTsushima-maru no higeki wo fukakushiru Q&A \u201cKodomora yaku 1500 nin ga shibo\u201d Shijitsu ni naniwo manabuka.<\/span><\/p>\n

[Q&A: Understanding the tragedy of the Tsushima-maru 72 years later: What can we learn from the historical fact that about 1,500 children died?] <\/span>Toyo Keizai<\/span><\/i>. July 25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/toyokeizai.net\/articles\/-\/132116?display=b<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Sawamiya, Y. (2024, January 19). Anata no tonari ni aru Okinawa Dai 11 kai, Waga furusatode \u201cmohitotsu no Okinawa-sen\u201d ga atta Gakudo shudan sokai. [No. 11: In my hometown, there was \u201canother Battle of Okinawa\u201d: Schoolchildren group evacuation]. <\/span>Shueisha Bunko <\/span><\/i>(note). July 25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/note.com\/shueishabunko\/n\/n9183b01e396f<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Senseki Kikou Net: Nihon no Kindai to Irei no Chiwo Meguru. (2025, September 15). Gakudo sokaisen no higeki \u201cTsushima-maru kinenkan to Asahigaoka kouen.\u201d\u00a0 [The tragedy of the Tsushima-maru evacuation ship: The Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum and Asahigaoka Park (Okinawa War Memorial Pilgrimage 13)]. <\/span>Okinawa Senseki Iirei Junpai 13. <\/span><\/i>July 21, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/senseki-kikou.net\/?p=27323<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Shin, Y. (2024, August 13). Gyoraihibaku, Yonsai naite umie: Makkurana kaijo de haha to saigo no wakare Okinawa-sen zenya no gakudo sokai. [Hit by a torpedo at age four, crying as he jumped into the sea: Saying goodbye to his mother in the darkness before the Battle of Okinawa].<\/span> Miraini Nokosu Senso no Kioku. [Keeping Memory of the War for Future Generations]. Yahoo! Japan.<\/span><\/i> (Okinawa Times). July 25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/wararchive.yahoo.co.jp\/wararchive\/okinawatimes4.html<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tomoya, K. (2024, December 31). Tsushima-maru ni josen, Haha to ane wo ushinau, Yoru no umi ni tobikomi 16 jikan no hyoryu Teruyasan (84): Mirai ni tsutaeru Okinawa-sen. [Boarding the Tsushima-maru, Losing his mother and sister, Drifting for 16 hours after jumping into the sea at night]. <\/span>Ryukyu Shimpo<\/span><\/i>. July 25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/ryukyushimpo.jp\/news\/entry-3600386.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Tsushima-maru jiken ni tsuite. [About the Tsushima-maru incident]. <\/span>Tsushima-maru Memorial Association. <\/span><\/i>July 25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/www.tsushimamaru.or.jp\/tsushimamaru.php<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum. (2024, April 1). <\/span>Okinawa kankei senji chinbotsu senpaku ichiran<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>[List of Okinawa-related ships sunk during the war] <\/span><\/i>[Exhibition panel]). Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum, Naha, Okinawa, Japan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Visionary Editorial Department. (2025, October 6). Ima shitte okitai senso to funso: Gendai made tsuzuku sekai no hidane. [War and conflict you should know today: The sparks of conflict that continue into the modern world]. <\/span>Diamond Visionary<\/span><\/i>. July <\/span>25, 2026. Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/www.diamondv.jp\/article\/8NKkaeEjje9br4V9Pxx624<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Woman who urged brother to evacuate on Japan vessel sunk in WWII still feels regret. (2024, August 22). <\/span>The Mainichi<\/span><\/i>. (2024, August 22).\u00a0 July 28, 2026.\u00a0<\/span>Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/mainichi.jp\/english\/articles\/20240822\/p2a\/00m\/0na\/028000c<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Researchers<\/h3>\n

\"\"Hello! My name is Kokoa Yamashiro<\/strong>, and I am a fourth-year student of International Communication at Okinawa University in Okinawa, Japan. I study languages, intercultural communication, and global social issues. I got interested in other countries at the age of eight, which inspired me to start learning English. I am also interested in learning Spanish and French because I enjoy discovering different languages and cultures. My hobby is traveling. I enjoy visiting new places and experiencing local food, cultures, and languages both in Japan and abroad. I especially love my home, Okinawa. Every summer, I enjoy visiting Okinawa\u2019s remote islands. In the future, I hope to make a positive contribution to society by helping others. I believe that every new experience helps me grow, so I always try to challenge myself and continue learning. Thank you for reading our article!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Hello! I am Yu Yonamine<\/strong>, a third-year student of International Communication, also at Okinawa University.\u00a0 Lately, I\u2019m into spending time with my friends, and recording those memories with a camera or in a diary. I major in Japanese and English language education in order to become a teacher. I am also interested in Peace Study. I believe that connecting the world through learning a language helps make a more peaceful future. That is why I want to teach language to childre<\/span>n. I<\/span> joined the \u201cPeace Now! Okinawa 2025\u201d peace study program for college students and as the only member from Okinawa I thought about how to share my ideas. We researched and discussed peace for the first time. In the future, I\u2019d like to share my experiences and knowledge; especially of my home of Okinawa\u2019s history.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1705,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"100-width.php","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1752","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nLoss of Innocence: The Tsushima-Maru Incident - Mr. Hisashi Teruya - Young Global Researchers Project<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kyotogaidai.org\/ygrp\/changemakers-in-the-community-phase-3\/okinawa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Loss of Innocence: The Tsushima-Maru Incident - 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