The Battle of Okinawa

The Americans are swiftly closing on Okinawa, an island just south of the Japanese mainland. The Imperial command sends top generals and several army divisions to defend it at all costs. The mission quickly degenerates as vital resources and troops are diverted to other islands. After a civilian evacuation ends in tragedy most of non-combatants are forced to remain on the island. Many convert to soldier status. Tokyo sends mixed messages that squander time and resources, as when they order the defenders to build an airstrip for aircraft that never come. The truth soon becomes obvious: the high command decides that the island cannot be held and effectively abandons the Okinawan defenders. When the Americans land many troops are deployed in the wrong places. As the slaughter mounts, a suicidal attitude takes hold. Okinawa becomes a death trap, for civilian volunteers and non-combatants as well.

Cast

Keiju Kobayashi

Keiju Kobayashi

as General Ushijima

Tetsuro Tamba

Tetsuro Tamba

as Lieutenant General Isamu Cho

Tatsuya Nakadai

Tatsuya Nakadai

as Colonel Hiromichi Yahara

Yūsuke Kawazu

Yūsuke Kawazu

as Naomichi Jin

Ichirō Nakatani

Ichirō Nakatani

as Chief of Staff Ueno

Ryō Ikebe

Ryō Ikebe

as Rear Admiral Ota

Shigeru Kōyama

Shigeru Kōyama

as Akira Shimada

Kunie Tanaka

Kunie Tanaka

as Barber Higa

Eijirō Tōno

Eijirō Tōno

as Yoshijirō Umezu

Jun Hamamura

Jun Hamamura

as Shuki Izumi

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