A Japanese media report on the Sydney Olympics said the Games marked "the end of a war-filled century." Japan's women athletes put in brilliant performances at the Games, as if to remove dark shadows of World War II, which imposed terrible suffering on countless women.
Naoko Takahashi, the gold medalist in the women's marathon, was especially impressive. After winning the grueling race on a course that was very hilly, she smiled and said, "It's been a very enjoyable 42 km." She was relaxed and refreshing. Perhaps it is a sign of the peace Japanese enjoy.
While watching television broadcasts of the Games, I was making preparations for a memorial service to be held Oct. 10 in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture for 229 dead student officers of the Japanese Imperial Navy. They were among the students, including myself, who were recruited in 1943 for a desperate Japanese military campaign against U.S. forces during the Pacific War.