Year: 1973
Author: SHIMA Tsuyoshi
"Bones" is a short story written by SHIMA Tsuyoshi. It takes place in Okinawa, shortly after it was returned to Japanese control. Construction workers who were tasked with building a resort are told that the construction site sits on top of a grave for hundreds of victims during the Battle of Okinawa. Much of the story is spent with these workers attempting to dig up the bones and clear them out. An elderly woman who was there when the bodies were buried scolds the construction workers for not being as respectful as they should be. She seems to have touched at least one life, as one of the construction workers really takes the time to reflect on these lost lives. The story ends with this construction worker metaphorically giving a voice to the deceased.
Topics for Discussion
postwar Japan; pulling itself up
Okinawa as virgin territory
bearing the pain of previous generations
External Links
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