Series: War and Radio [Part VII] The Road to Defeat

How Losing Battles Were Reported

Abstract

The loss of Saipan, the Battle of the Philippines, special attack tactics, the defeat at Iwo Jima, the ground battle of Okinawa... With the worsening war situation that might spur a feeling of war–wariness to prevail among the public, radio undertook a mission of evoking hostility and maintaining fighting spirit of the nation. How did the Japan Broadcasting Corporation react to carry out this mission? This paper focuses on the radio broadcasts in the latter half of the Pacific War, and specifically at the last stage of the war, using audio sources recorded on a hand–made apparatus by Eiichi Takahashi, who was studying telecommunications at a higher school then. The author also examines how the radio tried to communicate to the people, when Japan's defeat became undeniable, what was the cause of the defeat and who was responsible, by analyzing newly–acquired materials.