A Japanese family makes an excursion to a Hanami (cherry blossoms viewing) festival to view Sakura cherry blossom trees in Japan during World War 2. A Japanese woman dresses her young daughter in a kimono. A Japanese boy dresses up on his own. A Japanese family goes out of the house for Hanami. The father and sons are dressed in Western attire while the mother, grandmother and daughter are wearing kimonos. People crowd the Nishinomaru Garden to watch cherry blossom trees. People crossing a bridge. The Osaka Castle (1-1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002, Japan) is seen nearby. The family visits a Shinto shrine on its way to the festival. Japanese boy pulls the bell cord. Coin offerings are tossed to a box in a Shinto shrine. Japanese family clapping their hands and bowing in front of the shrine. Sakura cherry blossom tree viewing in Osaka. Japanese man takes pictures of the cherry blossoms with his camera. Closer view of Sakura blossoms in full bloom. A Japanese storyteller entertains children he uses picture cards to illustrate his story. A Japanese man treats his children with cotton candy. Japanese family have dinner at home. Family eats meat, sashimi (sliced raw fish), cooked vegetables and steamed rice in a bowl with chopsticks. Japanese girl eats a bowl of rice using her chopsticks. Japanese man eating. House maid watches rice steamer in kitchen. Japanese housemaid adds coal to fire that heats water for the ofuro (Japanese bathtub). Japanese boy takes bath. Japanese boy scrubbing his face, lathers and rinses body before entering the ofuro. Japanese boy inside an ofuro bathtub. Japanese woman and house maid prepare futon beds on the floor. Japanese man in a kimono reads newspaper and smokes cigarette before bedtime. Children are asleep. Japanese boy sleeps with a stuffed toy dog. View of Mt. Fuji at night.
Animated map shows U.S. forces extending control in the Pacific to the Mariana Islands islands in the Pacific during World War 2. It shows chain of airfields linking island of Truk to homeland, Japan. Map focuses on island of Truk, in Micronesia, showing concentration of Japanese aircraft, ships, and troops there. Paths of U.S. air and naval attacks on Truk are shown. Map shows Japanese fleet withdrawing and U.S. forces by-passing Truk to concentrate on the Mariana islands. U.S. naval task force is seen off the island of Saipan on June 11, 1944. Two U.S. battleships are followed by two escort aircraft carriers/ Barrels of battleship triple guns firing at Saipan. Landing Craft Tank: Rocket LCT(R) firing salvos of rockets. Glimpse from aircraft, overhead, of landing craft leaving white wakes during amphibious assault. Closeups of U.S. troops in landing craft. View from shore of American troops storming ashore through surf, from landing craft, under heavy enemy fire. Closeup of soldier hunkered down in sand. Soldier dropping down from side of beached landing vehicle tracked (LVT). A dead U.S. soldier floating in the water. Troops firing from their LVTs. Shells striking on sandy shore. Marines running with stretcher over their shoulders Fletcher class destroyer firing her guns to port. Brooklyn class light cruiser firing guns to port. View from ships flying Japanese flags, of Japanese warships headed to engage U.S. fleet. Japanese aircraft carriers and Aichi Kokuki KK dive bomber (Val) taking off from a carrier. Aerial closeup of Japanese Val aircraft in flight, with pilot clearly visible before he banks his plane to the left. Formations of Japanese Val aircraft in flight. Formation of American Grumman TBF Avenger aircraft engaging the Japanese. Gun camera film showing Japanese aircraft being shot down. A Japanese aircraft crashing into the sea. Sailors of U.S. ship firing batteries of Bofors 40mm anti aircraft guns. and 20mm anti aircraft guns. Black flak clouds in the sky. A Japanese plane crashing into the sea. Aerial view of formation of Japanese Val aircraft in flight. Closeup of a Japanese Kawasaki Ki-61 (Hien) aircraft maneuvering to attack. More views of Japanese Val aircraft in formation. American dive bombers dropping bombs on, Japanese held, Orote airfield. View from the air of bombs striking and smoke clouds. Fires burning on the airfield. An American navy F6F hellcat plane diving. Gun camera film showing Japanese aircraft being downed. A plane director on deck of U.S. aircraft carrier. Two Grumman TBF aircraft taking off from a carrier. View toward tail of one taking off. U.S. aircraft in formation overhead, and then peeling off in trail formation to attack a target. Japanese ships being strafed. U.S. infantry continuing heavy fighting on Saipan.
Senior Japanese Naval Officers make inspection visit on a warship. Japanese warships underway at sea. A Japanese destroyer. Numerous Japanese warships with several formations of Naval aircraft overhead. A loose formation of Kawanishi H6K Naval flying boats in flight. Japanese light and medium tanks on parade, including Type 95 Ha-Go tanks (some with offset turrets). Many tanks cross a field. In Japan, Emperor Hirohito, riding a white horse, reviews Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks as their crews stand at attention. Tanks create clouds of dust as they move on a road and a field. Japanese infantry soldiers march in review past Emperor Hirohito on his white horse. Large formation of Japanese infantry marching. High-stepping Japanese infantry compared to Italian infantry goosestepping. Benito Mussolini speaking to Italians from his balcony on the Palazzo Venezia of Rome on November 4th, 1938. Numerous Italian Army SPAD XIII biplanes parked in a large field. Ethiopia's Emperor, Haile Selassie, speaks from a shelter and invokes tribesmen fight invasion by Italian forces. Tribesmen are in tribal dress, armed with spears and ancient rifles, as they rally to their Emperor. Italian L3 light tanks being used in the Ethiopian campaign. Contingent of Italian cavalry charging and infantry advancing. Italian Caproni Ca.111bis light bomber in flight. Bombs falling. Italian artillery firing and shells striking a hilltop fortress. Japanese attendees waving Japanese flags in a large stadium in Italy. A Japanese statesman reading a speech in Japanese. Most of the stadium is filled with Italians. "Saluti" is written at the section occupied by Japanese attendees. An Italian spokesman welcomes the Japanese participants. A Japanese translator is beside him. Japanese cheer as they hear the translated greeting.
Documentary depicts job of United States occupation forces in Japan. Opening scene shows Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita being escorted by armed American military officer to a room. A woman at an outdoor stand, passing out leaflets to Japanese people during the U.S. postwar occupation of Japan. Camera pans across exterior of prison where Japanese wartime leaders are incarcerated. Japanese read information posted on a telephone pole. Newspaper in English reporting that Emperor Hirohito says he is not a Diety and the Japanese are not a master race. A Japanese broadcaster spreading the new concepts. Loud speakers on city streets carry the news. People visiting news stands, including many Japanese soldiers in uniforms. Several Japanese citizens gathered by a bulletin board to read the latest information. Japanese workers shoveling up debris from bombing during World War 2. View of vast destruction in a Japanese city, where only several concrete and steel buildings can be seen standing. Japanese people going about their normal affairs, walking on paths cleared through the detritus of war. U.S. troops monitoring Japanese travelers boarding a railroad train. A U.S. soldier standing with a Japanese policeman, searches a Japanese cyclist for contraband. Views of the Pacific Ocean, with waves crashing on the shore. Dead American soldiers in the waters at the coasts of various scenes of combat against Japanese forces during World War II. Views of American soldiers helping and tending to wounded during the war. A huge formation of American soldiers marching. The Liberty bell. A closing slate reading: "Our Job in Japan". Music: Beethoven's 9th Symphony is heard.
Overlaid on scenes of fervently patriotic Japanese people waving flags and cheering, is slate reading: "Japan is firmly determined to fight a hundred years war to crush the United States." A huge explosion. Glimpse of U.S. Marine Flame Thrower Tank M67 directing flame on a Japanese bunker. U.S. marines charging in an amphibious assault on a Japanese held Pacific Island during World War 2. U.S. troops wading through surf from their landing craft, during amphibious assault. Marines fighting Japanese in Pacific Island jungle. Landing craft at beach in background. American flag being raised on a palm tree. Soldier saluting the American flag. General Douglas MacArthur wading ashore in the Philippines followed by staff officers and soldiers, including Filipinos. U.S. aircraft bombing Japanese held Corregidor in the Philippines. U.S. Navy ships bombarding the Philippine coast. American paratroopers of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, jumping at low altitude, from C-47 aircraft onto a critical hill known as "Topside" on Corregidor. Views from ground of paratroopers descending. and landing at the hilltop. U.S. troops in an amphibious assault, under fire. The American flag being formally raised as General MacArthur and other officers salute the flag. Marines in amphibious assault on Iwo Jima. A U.S. battleship firing at the coast. Explosions along the coast from Naval bombardment. Marines charging across the black sands of Iwo Jima. Marines firing a 75mm Pack Howitzer M1. Shells exploding at the base of Mount Suribachi. The famous flag raising by Marines on Iwo Jima. American forces attacking the Japanese Island of Okinawa. A Landing Ship Medium (R) firing rockets at Okinawa. Numerous explosions ashore. The USS LSM(R)-198 firing rockets. U.S. troops using a flame thrower to attack Japanese troops in a bunker. A Japanese defender is shot and tumbles down a hill from a fortification. American flag raising on Okinawa. Army officers salute the colors. A U.S. Navy destroyer firing its stern 8-inch guns. A Japanese warship struck by a bomb or shell, with flash of fire and explosion. More views of U.S. Navy warships bombarding Okinawa. A torpedo seen below the water as it is launched A Japanese ship exploding with fireball and huge cloud of smoke. Glimpse of helmsmen inside U.S. submarine. A formation of Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber aircraft peels off, and dives. A Japanese ship being strafed and bombed. It explodes. U.S. Army Air Forces B-29 bomber aircraft taking off from captured islands to attack Japan. A formation of B-29s in flight. B-29s flying over Japan. Mount Fuji is visible. B-29 raining bombs on Japan. View from aircraft as bombs strike, exploding on ground. Closeup of falling bomb. Huge clouds of smoke rising from struck targets. More views of B-29 aircraft in flight. Some leaving contrails at high altitude. View from bridge of U.S. battleship bow plunging into heavy seas that cover deck. (Ship's forward triple gun turrets are visible.) Aerial view of landing craft speeding toward a beach, leaving white wake in water. Glimpse of U.S. battleship, in camouflage paint, bombarding a shore. Closeup of twin 40mm Bofors anti aircraft guns being fired from U.S. Navy ship. A Japanese Kamikaze airplane on fire, falling through flak clouds. A Japanese Mitsubishi G4M bomber aircraft flying low past a U.S. Aircraft Carrier. U.S. Navy sailors on a ship's deck firing a twin 40mm bofors gun. A Japanese Kamikaze airplane hit and in flames as it falls. A squadron of U.S. aircraft in formation. Gun camera film of Japanese airplane bursting into flames while being shot at by U.S. aircraft. Flaming aircraft falling straight down towards the water and splashing on contact. U.S. troops wade through surf as they leave Landing Ship Infantry Large USS LCI(L)-337. Troops rush past a beached Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) on sand beach. Troops in tracked landing vehicles approaching the shore from a cove. White smoke in the area. A banner erected at shore reading: "CIC." Explosions nearby. Soldiers using a flame thrower. Scene shifts to U.S. Secretary of War, Henry Lewis Stimson, speaking from his office in Washington, DC. He speaks of destroying Japan's armed forces and war fighting capability. A soldier shouting with a beached LVT behind him. American soldiers firing small arms from sheltered positions. An artillery soldier closing the breech of a heavy gun after loading it. Montage of scenes similar to all seen already. A liberty bell and "V" for victory is shown.
Scenes depicting daily life for children in Japan during World War II. View of Mount Fuji in Japan. Japanese children walk through terraced rice and tea fields on their way to school during World War 2. Japanese schoolgirl carries a bento box wrapped with traditional Furoshiki cloth. Other children carry Western-style lunchboxes. Japanese schoolchildren carry standard randoseru backpacks. Children pass by a tea picker working. Children walk past boats and nets. Japanese school children passing by factories with smokestacks. A Japanese boy, his sister and father put on shoes together before leaving their house. Japanese children are wearing the standard school uniform while their father is wearing a Waffenrock-style Western coat. A Japanese grandmother eats breakfast with a young grandson. Grandmother helps her grandson finish his tea. Japanese mother says “iterasshai” (“Go ahead and come back later” in Japanese), the children reply using a more polite form of language to their mother. The Japanese woman bids her husband good-bye using the same polite form of language her children used. Father accompanies his children on the street on his way to work. The three stops at a post office and the boy posts a letter. Japanese father talks to his daughter while waiting outside the post office. Japanese father bids good-bye to his children, telling them to listen to their teacher’s lessons. Children bow to their father upon leaving. Japanese man enters his office to begin his work as a train station manager. Japanese train manager speaks on phone in his office.