Japanese Manga Artist Highlights Importance of Learning about War

Tokorozawa, Saitama Pref., Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)--Japanese manga artist Kazuyoshi Takeda, author of a series that depicts a World War II battle on the western Pacific island of Peleliu, emphasized the importance of learning about war so as not to repeat past mistakes.

"For generations that have never experienced war, the first important step is to learn about it," the 50-year-old author of "Peleliu: Guernica in Paradise" said as nearly 90 pct of the people now alive in Japan have no direct experience of conflict.

In 2015, 70 years after the end of World War II, Takeda created his first war-themed one-off manga.

"I felt that the way Japanese soldiers thought for themselves and survived was very human and no different from me," he said, recalling stories shared by a war historian who had extensive knowledge of Peleliu Island. "It made me want to draw them in manga."

Takeda turned the one-off manga into the serial Peleliu, featuring Japanese Private First Class Tamaru, an aspiring manga artist, as the main character.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]