Victims and family members of those caught up in the U.S. air raids on Osaka during the war are preparing to sue the government as a group and seek an apology for their suffering, informed sources said Saturday.
The citizens are expected to soon establish a plaintiffs' group of around 10 people to file a suit with the Osaka District Court on Dec. 8, the 67th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
The sources said they are seeking ¥10 million each in compensation for the Osaka air raids in 1945, which are believed to have killed or injured more than 10,000 people.
The group will also comprise victims of air raids in other areas who now live in Osaka Prefecture.
The group plans to argue that the state failed to fully compensate civilians while giving generous reparations to soldiers, civilians employed the military, and their families.
"People killed by the air raids died like dogs," said Teruko Anno, a 69-year-old resident of Sakai City, Osaka, who lost her left leg during a raid in Kagoshima Prefecture.
"It is our duty as survivors to urge the government to accept its responsibility to prevent similar victims in the future," Anno said.
Including minor attacks, Osaka Prefecture was targeted by more than 50 air raids.