AbstractsHistory

The Great Tokyo Fire Raid during the World War II (WWII) is a period in American and Japanese history that is seldom given due attention. The purpose of this essay is to research and gain an understanding of how such an incident took place, what citizens of Japan had to go through, and how come the memory of this event seem so negligible. In doing so, the lives of Japanese citizens residing in the Tokyo before and after the attack on Tokyo will be analyzed, and information on the events that lead to this attack will be examined. This thesis will then go on to examine events on the fateful day, followed by a chapter on the recovery of Japan. In the final chapter the recovery of Tokyo and how this is remembered still this day today. Lastly, the results of the questionnaire will be analyzed and used to see how much knowledge there still exists regarding this event 71 years later.