Osaka Air Raids

Osaka, Japan's second city and a major centre of arsenals, shipbuilding and metal industries, was attacked repeatedly from the air in 1945. The raids generally counted as the eight great Osaka air raids took place on 13 to 14 March, 1 June, 7 June, 15 June, 26 June, 10 July, 24 July and 14 August.

The first, on the night of 13 to 14 March, was a low-altitude incendiary attack by 274 B-29s lasting about three and a half hours. It burned out the central wards and left 3,987 dead and 678 missing. The June raids were large daylight attacks on the remaining urban and industrial areas and the port, and the July raids included attacks on Sakai and on specific industrial targets.

The last raid, on 14 August 1945, the day before the surrender broadcast, was directed at the Osaka Army Arsenal east of Osaka Castle, which was largely destroyed. One-ton bombs also fell on the nearby Kyobashi station, where passengers had taken shelter; more than 210 identified victims died there, together with an estimated several hundred unidentified.

In total the raids are estimated to have killed more than 10,000 people and made well over a million homeless; exact totals differ by source. The Osaka International Peace Center (Peace Osaka) documents the raids and preserves the names of the victims.