Blurb Forged In Fire: Stories of Wartime Japan

Many works of non-fiction have been written about Japan and World War Two but very few delve into the hearts and minds of the Japanese people who experienced extreme poverty, hunger, and fear along with the constant threat of death and disease during these tragic years. The author is a living descendent of a samurai clan and her family has connections with the Imperial Family but this didn’t work to their advantage during these challenging times. Although Alexia Montibon-Larsson writes with finesse and her mother’s story provides a wonderful introduction to Japanese culture and customs, this narrative is also very raw. It represents qualities of uncompromising realism and the details are not for the faint-hearted. I had tears in my eyes reading the final pages.This biography is mostly set in Tokyo but Tomoko’s short stay in Kyushu with her siblings gives us another perspective on how difficult it was moving from the capital to the country and back to war-torn Tokyo. They moved from one city to another searching for safety, solace, and security. Having just left their cousins behind after a visit to Hiroshima, one can only imagine how devastated they were when the atomic bombs fell and killed their beloved relatives.The family’s new year traditions are described with pride, giving us a charming peek into everything they did to uphold Japanese traditions. However, reading about their auntie’s punishments, the dried powdered egg mixed with water which was their only food source for days during the occupation, the way death permeated every corner of their lives, and the brave determination they had to adopt in the face of adversity was truly an eye-opener.This book may be short but you can tell it was written from the heart. The illustrations throughout this biography drawn by the author are astonishingly good and thought-provoking. These drawings really help the reader understand the context of the story. The three photos of her mother Tomoko give us a sense of her beauty and positivity and the musical glossary at the end is a refreshing and novel addition to the book. This story doesn’t take long to read but if you want a true and sincere account of what really happened during World War Two in Japan then this poignant but fascinating publication is well-worth reading.

My mother and her family went through the fire bombings while living in Roppongi, Tokyo. My father was a GI from Hawaii who was sent to Japan in 1946 and assigned to the MPs with the Cav. Mother and her family all still live in and around the Tokyo area. Many of the stories my father told me about Tokyo when he arrived and the few stories my Mom told me about the war are reflected in this book. The only thing - I wish the book were longer. Thank you for a lovely story and remembrance of life during the war and the Occupation. I believe the picture was taken at Camp Omiya in 1948.