Late last year, the history book “Nihongun Heishi” (Japanese soldiers) was published by Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc. and became a best seller. Written by Yutaka Yoshida, the book attempts to draw an accurate picture of World War II as fought in the Asia-Pacific region. The war ended 73 years ago with Japan’s surrender. The book mentions the shocking fact that many of the 2.3 million deaths among Japanese military personnel and civilians employed by the military were caused by starvation or malnutrition.
