Japanese second world war survivor looks back at Emperor Akihito’s Heisei era

Japanese second world war survivor Haruyo Nihei, 82, was eight years old when the conflict ended in 1945. Japan fought the war in the name of Emperor Hirohito. However, his son and heir, the current Emperor Akihito has made his message one of peace and remembrance, reminding the Japanese people not to forget the tragedy of the war since he inherited the throne in 1989. As a war survivor, Nihei appreciates the emperor’s efforts to soothe the wounds of the conflict, but she believes many young…