The Other Grave of the Fireflies

[@RareEarthSeries]

As our channel is clearly dying the algorithm death, I'm so incredibly humbled by the fact that no matter how harsh the topic, no matter how oppositional to KZbin's norm, I got to tell her story because of you and you alone: www.patreon.com/rareearth

[@unflexian]

Everyone is dying this past month, I've seen a video from a channel with 300k subs with 3k views after a week. Is it because of nebula maybe?

[@RareEarthSeries]

I have no idea, but at that rate I'll almost certainly be gone by the summer. I might start a new channel based on Patrons and see if I can't game the system, but I dunno. It's frustrating, that's for sure.

[@unflexian]

@@RareEarthSeries :(

[@dnash2131]

Keep making that content, do you have a patreon. I very much enjoy your presentation and content. Thank you

[@benwest5293]

Regardless the fate of the channel, I'm so thankful that you've had this chance to tell all of us these stories. You are an amazing storyteller and you tell stories which need telling yet are not given the time of day by others. This content is truly a gift, and I believe I speak for everybody else here in saying that it is a true honor to be able to view your work. It's a real shame that the algorithm discourages videos like this, videos that are in highest tiers of quality this site has to offer. But unfortunately, it doesn't fall in line with what the algorithm has decided to be "ideal", short snippets of videos which are easy to digest and contain little actual value yet manage to keep eyes on the platform. And that's just sad, it's truly sad. Hopefully the algorithm will get refined in the future and will once more allow this channel to thrive, or at least to get the consistent viewership it deserves. But in the meantime, thank you for what you have made here, for it is truly a work of art.

[@themarblers4399]

Hit me the hardest when I realised, this is just one of the stories that someone survived and able to tell us.

[@cheezburgrproduction]

If only the walls and rocks spoke to tell of the things they've claim witness to.

[@calichef1962]

And this is just ONE story of the horror of war. Every single person who is on the ground in the middle of a war has a similar horror/desperation story (or a hundred) that they could tell. I really wish humans could learn that wars are NEVER worth it for those who are in the thick of it. The ONLY people who have anything to gain by our modern wars are those that make and sell the weapons and those who loan war budget money to governments to be able to pay the arms manufacturers. Everyone else looses. Even those of us who hear the stories of the witnesses.

[@jacobmortimore]

Yep, This is one of the lucky people... Every time there is war , humans literally create the hell we're all so frightened of

[@litchtheshinigami8936]

calichef1962 if there ever is a war again they should fight it digitally in a videogame.. would be much fairer to innocent people

[@patheirbrown4158]

@@cheezburgrproduction they would scream at us

[@briangarrow448]

My father used to say, I cried because I had no shoes. Until I met a man that had no feet. I cried tonight for Tomiko.

[@codyshi4743]

Me too

[@AndreAndFriends]

+

[@toddrickman]

And now I cried because you did Brian, thank you for keeping me human.

[@briangarrow448]

@@toddrickman I read your comment and watched this tragic story again. Two years and it still brought tears to my eyes.

[@FayhaOmer]

Very sad story about Tomiko😢

[@yoonastolejiminsunderwear8949]

fact: tomiko's husband urged her to write her experiences and comes across an old photo of herself carrying the white flag made by grandpa. she tracked down the american photographer named john hendrickson who later on met tomiko and took a picture with her using the camera he used forty three years ago.

[@Lopro94]

I'd love to see that foto...

[@ariloves10]

Incredible.

[@Pepper360]

@@Lopro94 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZLNeKaeqsigepY

[@Veritaserum90]

@@Pepper360 its clear he meant photo taken AFTER the war, when she met the guy...

[@mdbrumbach1]

@Pinky cocoon The book is "The Girl with the White Flag".

[@czarpeppers6250]

The minute I realized the soldier had a camera not a gun I couldn't stop myself from beginning to cry.

[@tsuchigomoridaddy6492]

y

[@litchtheshinigami8936]

I legit didn’t pick up on that.. 😂

[@itskitty808]

I thought the soldier had a gun but when the narrator said the soldier's device went "click", that's when I knew it was a camera. I was "guns don't go 'click', they go 'ba-boom'."

[@litchtheshinigami8936]

@@itskitty808 guns do go click if they are empty..

[@davidwales664]

Me2

[@Sembazuru]

Very "Grave of the Fireflies". I'm not complaining, there should be more stories like this about the true human cost of warfare.

[@DUDEfreestyle]

Nothing good comes from War. Only pain and suffering 😢

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

I'm not sure they'd be prepared for the increase in the suicide rate if they did stories like this regularly.

[@neil7737]

@@DUDEfreestyle Sometimes things must be killed to allow new life. All war involves pain and suffering but this does not mean there isn't good that comes out of it

[@DBT1007]

Blame Western Christians that loves war so much. They scrambles Africa. And then Middle East. And then trying to rape China. Conquering Southeast Asia. And finally.. torture Japan. They have slogan. "Gold, Glory, Gospel". Yeah.. Christianity spreads with destruction. Since the roman empire accepted Christianity. But idiotically, there are people that still love Christianity.. All over the world. It's like Stockholm syndrome. A Syndrom where u are a victim and u love and help the bad guy.

[@Super_Time_XxX]

I was not prepared either. That hit me hard.

[@BazilRat]

This has been one of the hardest Rare Earth episodes to listen to. It must have been one of the hardest stories to tell, too.

[@ZephyrGlaze]

I was emotionally prepared for a story about an ineresting rock. Not this.

[@sidd54nair]

I was emotionally prepared for the Grave of the Fireflies. Not this

[@DarkHarlequin]

I was like 'oh a parellel to Grave of teh Fireflies' I wonder what it will... oh it's Grave of the Fireflies only in real life... and I'm crying again... cool... was not emotionally ready to watch this...

[@sourgreendolly7685]

I needed this laugh

[@philippstetter5611]

Preach it

[@n000d13s]

Yeah... me neither. It broke me down.

[@apple_meson]

Haven't cried because of a video in so long, but this was so visceral and heart wrenching that I couldn't hold my tears back.

[@egregius9314]

I wasn't ready for this video..

[@AxTod]

I don't remember EVEr crying because of a video...except this one

[@yoshtodd]

same here

[@robertlindsey3596]

Same, this broke me a little bit... and I've watched Grave of the Fireflies many times before, I knew what to expect.

[@lala-kc3br]

My eyes are soggy and my nose is runny

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Thanks for telling this story Evan. So hard to listen through, but we need to remember these kinds of things. I had to stop myself from crying several times. Writing this now, the tears have, against my will, started to flow.

[@eedobee]

Don’t stop yourself crying.

[@TechnicolorDojo]

It's weird to hit the like button for something that made me nauseous.

[@Jokemeister1]

Made me sad, not nauseous. Selfish intolerant humans have a lot to answer for.

[@WillaLamour]

Well said.

[@andyr0ck]

It raises the question of whether the 60 people who hit dislike did so for that reason or simply because they're inhuman bastards.

[@gxoxoxo]

Liked for sharing it to the world and learned from it.

[@deniecedonnafield4749]

@@andyr0ck I hit the button because it was a story well told and should be remembered!

[@Jotari]

You know what's special about this story? Absolutely nothing. It happened to millions upon millions of people during those few years. And that's really the saddest thing of all.

[@abaranihei2608]

Wow, just wow....

[@BlumChoi]

European Jews for example

[@agustinvenegas5238]

@@BlumChoi communists and non communists, black people, white people, it literally doesn't matter, conflict is disgusting

[@abaranihei2608]

When your Mother dies just remember, it happens to everyone!

[@ciara7172]

@@abaranihei2608 op isn't saying that this isn't devastating or awful. They're saying it was common.

[@AIM9Sidewinder1776]

God damn, imagine living out the rest of your life having experienced all that by the age of 7, heartbreaking.

[@iamdrumgod]

She's still alive too. :)

[@terrygaedchens5928]

Imagine being strong enough to choose to live, despite not knowing if she had any family left to return to, or if the invaders would kill her too. Still, I wonder if the drama of this story, and unrecountable ones like it, could have been largely prevented if the world powers had stayed out of Japans business. The Bulshevik revolution was at the root of the fight to the finish scenario that Imperialist Japan knew was headed their way, and that their ruling class would be executed whether they fought or not. They chose to fight against formidable odds and die honorably.

[@slithra227]

@@terrygaedchens5928 Japan was also an imperialist power at the time, they killed and tortured plenty of civilians on their own fronts in China and across the Pacific.

[@moralkombat66]

@@terrygaedchens5928 japan was terrible in ww2. They killed, tortured and raped many civilians. They had to be stopped, but there aren't any good guys.

[@PauloOlveira]

Hawkeye: War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse. Father Mulcahy: How do you figure that, Hawkeye? Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell? Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe. Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.

[@dataexpunged6969]

I don't understand how people see videos like these and still believe in god

[@NoxUmbrae]

@@dataexpunged6969 Cool. I adress the following not to you, who wrote the comment I'm replying to, but to whomever might be reading this comment: *Do NOT take the bait, don't start a conversation about this.* It'll lead nowhere and you'll all be left unsatisfied at the end. It should be of no one's concern on whom you choose to believe or not to believe, and I think there is much to be gained in time and energy to not discuss this, people in general believe in a whole different spectrum of beliefs and when they discuss it, they focus on different things, and religion, by it's nature, is not concerned with scientific proof, so, let me save you all the time and let you in on a few observations that can be made on pretty much any religious discussion on the internet: Presenting scientific fact to religious people is useless: Their religion likely has some deity or theological reason that, through no other mechanism than faith, overrides scientific claim. Presenting faith-based argumentation to atheists and agnotics and the like is useless: Most of them try to keep their world view based on a mix between empirical and logical evidence, most reliably acquired through observations of nature (science). Do not proselytize, be respectful of other's beliefs and don't belittle what you don't favor or understand. These are generalizations based on observation and I thought would be a good disclaimer and/or advice to give because these types of discussion play out very often in the internet and the interlopers seem to miss the point entirely. Please, don't do it.

[@MJ-iu7gm]

@@NoxUmbrae thankyou.

[@nuttynoah5342]

@@NoxUmbrae thank you

[@2552644]

Ερεβος I’m sorry but creation has scientific basis.

[@net81j]

This story should be turned into a feature film. People need to remember these events to understand what War means.

[@MrSeriousness17]

Have you seen Grave of Fireflies?

[@fifthcolumn388]

Mr.Serious exactly what I was thinking

[@HisameArtwork]

I dunno, I couldn't watch grave of the fireflies to the end, but maybe others can... I'll try and watch JojoRabbit, seems less soul crushing.

[@net81j]

@@MrSeriousness17 Grave of Fireflies is not based on a real person's actual experience and its story is just not brutal enough to capture what really happened.

[@MrSeriousness17]

@@net81j I take it thats a no on having watched the movie then. The message in that movie is pretty close to the one in this video.

[@iamdrumgod]

I believe RARE EARTH is the best channel on KZbin. Trapped in the middle of so much silliness, people drinking milk through their sinus', fail videos, and food travelogues, lies a powerful and purpose driven video log. It is always informative and fantastic and I cannot recommend it enough. Beautifully filmed, the stories are loaded with ideas and profound imagery. With their recent return from a long hiatus, they are simply outdoing themselves. I believe the attached episode is their best work yet. If you prefer gravitas in your entertainment, look no further.

[@JacksonBlackmon]

Soldiers: -worried about the noise of a crying infant attracting the enemy Also Soldiers: -uses MACHINE GUNS to kill said infant

[@tyler.9012]

I think the sound of bullets would be normal there tho

[@hondaservicecenter]

Tyy1err doesn’t mean it won’t bother a ducking sleeping baby

[@Jkim890]

It wasn’t about being quiet. It was about feeling like they could do anything to improve their shitty situation. War makes men mad.

[@lbkotokbiasa9736]

this is fiction right? no soldier that have brain would do this

[@itsonlyafleshwound9024]

@@lbkotokbiasa9736 If you only have a hammer, every Problem looks like a nail.

[@TheAlphahyena]

I watched the Ghibli animation of the movie a few years ago: Grave of the Fireflies. I liked it immensely, but I can't bring myself to watch it again because it hurts so much. Your story was much easier to go through. Thank you.

[@jennsmith3177]

i have a tat of the little girl from the movie on my right arm.

[@rorysparshott4223]

This is the most beautiful video you've ever made. Thank you, it's a masterpiece. I just need to go and cry a lot.

[@AndreAndFriends]

+

[@realexperienc]

To the entire Rare Earth team: Thank you for having the guts (and the grace) to make such a heartbreaking video...if only those whom speak so easily of going to war could see this with compassion and realise what war really is! Keep up the good work!

[@MoiraOBrien]

I have tears in my eyes watching and listening to this story, having spent the day with my children, grandchildren and great grandchild, watching a grandson get married - the very ordinary business of a modern family in a time of peace. I was 3 months old when Tomiko was rescued from war. I have never known war or real hardship in my life and I hope I never will. It is right and proper that we should remember those who suffered from the iniquities of global warfare and do our best to make sure that it can never happen again.

[@MrZyphod]

Sad to say, I don't think that war has ever stopped in some part of the world or other...

[@MoiraOBrien]

This is of course true but from an English point of view we have been at peace in Europe thanks in no small part to the EU.

[@appleslover]

@@MoiraOBrien a huge part i would say

[@lawrenceallen8096]

@@MoiraOBrien The EU????? It is an ECONOMIC union. Don't you mean NATO, the USA and UK in particular? The USA, whose citizens paid to rebuild Europe after WWII and provided the bulk of military support against the Soviet Union: the largest and most malevolent European Colonialist Slave State to exist in the 20th century! And in the 1990s the USA/NATO stopped Europe's concentration camps that popped up again after the fall of the Soviet Union in the former Yugoslavia. But sadly, like clockwork, 30 years after reunification, the Germans are back at it again: "You will own nothing and be happy."--Klaus Schwab regarding his "New World Order." He never finishes the sentence "You will own nothing and be happy, and we will own everything and be happier than you." And the other "EU" countries do nothing because Germany funds them through debt and therefore owns the EU. As an American, from the country that has paid the bulk of the price for the longest period of peace in Bloody Europe's history these past 80 years: Let's agree to not put the Germans in charge until the people with numbers tattooed on their forearms die off. As a courtesy to them, let's just wait another 10 year or so before the Germans impose the 4th reich."

[@MoiraOBrien]

Ah yes - the policemen of the world - the wonderful US of A, who have more billionaires and more poor people than any other developed country. The EU was spawned out of a desire for European countries never to fight wars again. It may have started as an economic union, but it has developed into far more and is thus far more important . Thankfully, it has developed into something that can compete on a level playing field with the US. What kind of political union it develops into is a matter of conjecture. I cannot deny that the US contributed hugely to the ending of WWII - but then so did Russia. The fact is that the US sat on its hands until it was forced into the war by Japan, so don’t go crowing about your prowess quite so much. I am not qualified to make comments on your perception of Germany. However, as someone who was born before the end of WWII, and therefore have experienced the whole of the post war era, I feel qualified to be able to see Europe (not just the EU) as a far better place thanks to the formation of that body - and it’s continual growth. Personally, I would like to see a confederate system adopted in Europe. However, the political will for this seems to be somewhat of a dream still. I wish America well, but I am eternally glad that I was born this side of the Atlantic and that I am a citizen of the EU.

[@SnoAto]

The moment he said "hold up the flag it will keep you alive" it hit me so hard...

[@MayankGoel447]

I was expecting something related to the movie 'Grave of Fireflies' which can almost bring anyone to tears. Although this was a different story, really loved it. Both of them are can really make one cry. For those who haven't watched the movie 'Grave of the Fireflies' by Ghilbli Studio. I recommend it, it is a masterpiece and is also set during the time of World War 2.

[@danielsjohnson]

The similarity this video and "Grave of the Fireflies" share is they are both sad stories about Japan during and right after World War 2. Another similarity is they are both well-made.

[@KS-mt1lb]

This similarity, they must be accompanied by a box of tissue.

[@So3oodiya]

The movie is not for the faint heated though.. it can affect you very deeply for days after

[@michaelmartin4552]

When I was on Okinawa in 1988 I was lucky enough to have met her. Miss Higa is an amazing individual and she taught me a lot about that battle that I had never heard before. And the version she told us was very similar to what was reported in this, however she did not tell us in so much detail. However, she did talk about going to caves and tombs that were full of bodies, where the Japanese soldiers used grenades and rifles to kill those inside. Because not all of the hiding places were caves, many were the "Turtleback Tombs" that still dot the countryside to this day.

[@riyadhuladha3155]

there's still children like Tomiko in Middle east war

[@gelonzo71]

Fair point, Sir or Madam. Back then the civilised world knew little about what was going on on these remote war theaters. Today, we do not have that excuse. Only those who turn their eyes away cannot see.

[@OVXX666]

no one cares about the middle east because they like some arab dude did some dumb shit in america once or twice that may have involved a plane and a building. but yeah can trump stop supplying bombs that are being dropped on school children in yemen that would be nice

[@smo-king6504]

@@OVXX666 Well the thing the japanese did involved planes too

[@OVXX666]

@@smo-king6504 yeah but they gave us anime so we good.

[@shino4833]

@@OVXX666 baka

[@rhijulbec1]

I've had a child die. Here in Canada. Completely blindsided by something so rare, it took a year and several specialists to finally figure out. To think that Tomika, barely older than a toddler, endured such loss, such heartache, hurts my heart to the point I'm overwhelmed with that feeling of loss I remember from 35 years ago (Julie Diana 12 Feb 1984-07 Apr 1984) as though it were again just happening. I wonder what happened to her. I hope more than anything she had a good life. But we know better. Life doesn't care what you've endured, there's no pardon from pain, heartache or hardship just because you've suffered. At most I hope she was loved. Thank you again Evan. A reminder that what we think of as hardship now, means waiting for phones to charge so we can stare blankly at the screen again. I'm guilty of that too. But I've also known a loss most never will. And hearing of hers, so many lost~it tears my heart. Jenn in Canada 🇨🇦

[@razor1uk610]

rhijulbec1 As a fellow 12th Feb child (1979) along with Abe Lincon & Charles Darwin, I had to type something. My sincere but much belated condolances & commiserations, however shallow that could appear to sound from me.

[@rhijulbec1]

@@razor1uk610 That is so kind of you. Thank you. No kindness is ever shallow. No condolence is ever belated. People tend to think that time heals all wounds. Anyone over 5 knows that's not true. Everything that happens to you is a memory and memories don't heal. Your kind words soothe that still very, very raw pain. I can call up every emotion, every thought, every memory of that day. Just as if it's still new. So your kind words do indeed help. Because even though that shocked, visceral agony may diminish, (no one could survive that kind of loss if the screeching rawness of that terrible physical/emotional pain didn't diminish) there's always the memory of it and any kindness is a port in a storm. So thank you. Sincerely. Jenn 🇨🇦

[@DarkestDeeds]

From what I've found mostly from bits of the book, Tomiko Higa went on to marry and finish law school. She met the photographer again who took the picture of her as a child. It's really hard finding information because even though the book is now in English, it wasn't originally.

[@rhijulbec1]

@@DarkestDeeds WOW! Thank you for this! It's good to hear she had some success in her life. I cannot imagine a 7 yr old going through that much trauma. I'm ecstatic to hear that she may have been ok after all.

[@DarkestDeeds]

@@rhijulbec1 I hope you too had a good life after your loss.

[@martinsantos6497]

This is indeed Rare Earth. And even rarer youtube. Thank You. My best friend said that she would have preferred a story about a sad rock. I think that this is a story about a sadder rock.

[@LacedWithOreos]

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana. There are far too many stories of those trying to survive post-war and yet the cycle of hatred and violence continues. She was just a child. And they were all human.

[@curiousworld7912]

Oh, my God... What we do to each other is beyond my comprehension. That so many children in the world, right now, face what this child faced so many years ago...we never learn... May God forgive us.

[@garretth8224]

Me must forgive each other that is more important than the forgiveness of a god that may or may not exist.

[@unvergebeneid]

@@garretth8224 and one that would, according to Christian lore, subject this little girl and all the civilians who died on that island to eternal torture for the crime of having been brought up in a non-Christian culture.

[@a_lucientes]

@@unvergebeneid Not to defend Christianity but according to its doctrine this is not correct. If they were never exposed to the bible they would not be considered heretics. There is a famous story (Ive no idea if its true, but it goes right to the absurdity of religion) about a missionary who, while trying to convert Eskimos in Northern Canada told them that to reject Jesus is to bring damnation upon one's soul. To which the Eskimo replied: _But what if I never heard of Jesus. How could God hold someone responsible for something he is unaware of?_ "Then you would not be damned", replied the missionary. To which the Eskimo asked: _Then why did you tell me about him?_

[@unvergebeneid]

@@a_lucientes Haha, fair question. Don't you, at least according to Catholic doctrine, still make it to Limbo if you've never had the chance to join the club?

[@dataexpunged6969]

How could you even believe in a god after what you just saw? How can you be so blinded? Does your indoctrination run that deep?

[@beskamir5977]

I'm actually sobbing. This is the main reason why I despise war of any kind. A bunch of extremists/politicians/etc not wanting to get along and the people that suffer the most are those that wanted no part in any of it.

[@healingandgrowth-infp4677]

War is like the whipping boy. Instead of taking it out on each other they take it out on civilians. The only reason they care is when there are no civilians left to kill.

[@GreenGoblinCoryintheHouse]

And yet we see it in action

[@Tedd755]

This was powerful. I feel strange clicking the "thumbs-up" button on such content, but for once, this video deserves such a nudge to the algorithm more than maybe any other. Thanks, Evan and your team, for producing this. I hope you're OK.

[@tarigHashim]

Its rare earth ,but sadly the story is not rare... We keep repeating the same story every day .war is never rare.

[@Haplo-san]

I did the translation and waiting for an approve. It took longer than I thought because it was hard; and hard because I had to take a break and breath everytime I filled with tears and couldn't continue. I did my very best and checked couple times. I've also checked others but decided to translate your baseline, double-entendre after all; this is Rare Earth indeed. I'm proud that I can help to tell her story too from your powerful narration. Thank you for sharing her story with us. P.s for everyone: If you haven't heard of it, I highly suggest you all to check Ikue Asazaki and listen her song "Obokuri-Eeumi" which she sings in Amami dialect (I guess). Wiki says she born and grew up in Amami island but some says she is Okinawan also sings Okinawan. No matter what, the fact is main islanders doesn't understand the lyrics without translation and she sings beautiful, the song is beautiful and I feel it fits very well to this story. And also, the six Ryukyuan languages are listed in the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. UNESCO said all Ryukyuan languages are on course for extinction by 2050.

[@ziggystardust1973]

this is too dark for me wow edit: I'm actually crying now

[@a_lucientes]

When you recover, if you havent seen the animated film this story inspired (The Grave of The Fireflies 1988 - from Studio Ghibli) it is one of the most moving films Ive ever seen.

[@Utubesux]

Need some tissue?🤯

[@skeetsmcgrew3282]

@@a_lucientes Only anime that ever made me cry. I had zero clue what I was getting myself into and it most certainly ruined my night lol

[@AP-zw6ql]

@@skeetsmcgrew3282 I own a copy of this anime. I've only watched it once and doubt I'll ever be able to watch it a 2nd time.

[@thefourcorners6306]

The anime "Grave of the Fireflies" is one of the greatest anime i've seen so far.

[@bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477]

You should watch Barefoot Gen. The author of the manga based it off his time surviving the atomic bombing.

[@stanrayborn926]

That little girl possed bravery that I can't even imagine. What a beautiful but tragic story. Thank you for sharing it. Love your channel.

[@Bloodreign137]

This has been one of the most tear-jerking episodes of Rare Earth. That was one metal little girl

[@hredwine1114]

Well done. The cost of war is always born by the civilians affected, not the nations, that start them.

[@YouFightLikeACow]

This is the most depressing thing you've uploaded recently.

[@rhijulbec1]

The world isn't all that YT tries to make you believe. Think of this as a triumph. This child~seven years old~endured and still was able to love the grandparents, even after all she'd seen, she trusted. She found her sisters. I can't say if she was better off dead, as so, so many chose to be or if she was better off living. None of us can. I'm old(ish) and through all the pain of living I've never felt it was time to honestly give up. I'm not lecturing. I'm hoping you can see some light in the darkness of this video. I hope you're ok.

[@e1123581321345589144]

try ever

[@lewismassie]

That photo hit me like a ton of bricks. Incredible video

[@sujimtangerines]

I held it together until that image.

[@chapocademesquit]

@@sujimtangerines i was crying like a little sobbing baby when the river part came

[@amydebuitleir]

When the video finished, with tears running down my cheeks I whispered "please, please, please let there be a way for me to find out more about the rest of her life". I clicked on the description and saw there is a book. I don't know yet if I have the strength to read it. Thank you for your most powerful story yet.

[@kibblemom]

Much as I love history, this is one of the hardest things I've ever watched. And yet I'm so glad I did. These stories need to be told and retold. Will we ever learn? We can only hope! Thank you for doing this.

[@Billyboy4209]

Literally had to force my self to NOT click a different video.😧 That was tough,but a history that should NOT be forgotten...

[@DarkHarlequin]

Seriously there are two reasons you click away a video. One is it doesn't grab you. The other happened to me here to where it's so real and emotional that my soul is telling me 'skip this please' and I have to force myself to say 'No! You will let this effect you and tear you down because it's important!'.

[@Eirien87]

thank you so much for spreading that story.... hope people will unterstand one day that nothing is worth a war or destruction or pain like this

[@leehaseley2164]

So moving that I was brought to tears. Flooding back came all the memories of war, from Dachau concentration camp to the killing fields. Powerful and eloquent as always.

[@alarcon99]

where you a survivor of Dachau? i would love to hear your story but i could never ask for something so personal. wherever you are in the world, know i'm so happy you are here.

[@leehaseley2164]

@@alarcon99 fortunately for me, I was only ever there on school trips. The sole British student in a class of German students, we had to go as part of the curriculum in Germany, once in grade 8, 9, and 10. All day on each occasion. It was truly the single most harrowing experience of my life, so now just the thought of all those poor souls held there brings me to tears, for all they endured.

[@terrygaedchens5928]

If only the Bolshevik revolution had been crushed before WW1, WW2 wouldn't have been fought, Germany wouldn't have been forced to demonitize their economy due to the massive threat growing g from the East, and martial law being imposed, necessitating all citizens work for food and shelter, and support resistance preparation to the intended invasion of Stalin and his genocidal agendas. Stalin won, by slaughtering tens of millions of humans, and the world still blames Germany for resisting Stalins intended genocide of Germanic people worldwide.

[@EddVCR]

Thank you for telling this haunting, yet very important story. I can’t imagine going through this Hell on earth as an adult. The loss of a quarter of Okinawa’s lives is unbelievable. The tropical islands inhabited by easygoing, cheerful people have an underlying sadness, and your story beautifully illustrates one of the reasons why. And to think that Tomiko’s story is just one of the many truly horrifying stories chills my soul. It is the civilians in the path of war who inevitably suffer in wars, on both sides. You are an amazing storyteller. I am a new subscriber now!

[@aftertone3146]

There will be moments where I will forget about this, there will be also moments where this story will return on full force to remind me what war truly causes.

[@gliza]

I was lucky enough to live on Okinawa for several years. There are caves all over the island. I have explored many of them. And many of them were used during the war by Okinawans who found themselves stuck in the middle of two super powers colliding. They were victims of terrible circumstance and that circumstance being that their beautiful island where, prior to the war, was a place of farming and fishing-life was slow and peaceful...that beautiful island held a key strategic stronghold for whoever held it. Okinawa is so beautiful. The people are wonderful, the scenery is gorgeous, the food, etc, etc, etc...but, it is a scar on this Earth. And if you know where to go, you can still feel that hopelessness and sadness. Some ghosts never leave. I recall a coworker telling me that he stumbled upon a cave on the side of a small road. This cave was fenced off and there was a plaque but it was only in Japanese. He told me there were yen coins all over the ground on the inside of the cave. And then he told me that he felt such a heavy feeling of sadness and he couldn’t shake it, nor did he understand and he had to leave. Many years later, he and I, along with a few other Americans airmen were exploring the island with one of our Okinawan coworkers-Sashida. He was the oldest of the local nationals that we worked with and he would take us around to see cool things that weren’t on the tourist map-mostly caves that we could explore. Anyway, one outing after exploring a cave Sashida brought us to, my coworker who told me the story about the cave he felt the sadness at a few years prior said that he recognized the area so we stopped and he told me that the cave was down a small trail. Sashida already knew about the place. He told us it was a cave where many Okinawans hid during the war. They knew how ruthless the Imperial Japanese military was. And they were told that the American military was even worse. And because of this, the older Okinawan men killed everybody in the cave and then killed themselves. Children, women, elderly...everyone. They did this because it seemed like the best option. How terrible is that? A peaceful people who lived a simple, peaceful life of farming and fishing...victims of circumstance. Victims of the most horrible aspects of mankind. I felt the immense weight of that sadness. I felt the impression that the Battle of Okinawa made on that beautiful, little island. Right there a few meters down a small trail that one wouldn’t even notice if they weren’t looking for it....off a small, unassuming road. It was a beautiful day and it started off happy and exciting but visiting that cave changed the mood for everyone-including Sashida. I felt ashamed and sad. Some ghosts never leave.

[@ncc74656m]

Thank you, Evan, Kata, and Tomiko. Please. No more war.

[@ytramization]

This has affirmed for me the meaning of life..... Courage to walk in the footsteps of giants...6 year old giants.

[@Dunderpunch]

Imagine any child around this age who you know personally going through that, or don't if you value being happy.

[@Yakzur]

I often wonder "how many Tomikos have there been?". How many children have suffered the way she did? It's not a question with a verifiable answer, you can't put a number on it, but even one is too many. Any time you hear someone advocate for war, show them this. Tell them they will create thousands of children that suffer like Tomiko did if their rhetoric goes unchecked.

[@ElbowDeepInAHorse]

First time KZbin has ever brought me to tears.

[@williamfrazier4797]

This story should be taught in schools everywhere.

[@boogiman007]

Your storytelling abilities are on another level.

[@SamTheCrazyOne]

6:42 a recurrent hypothetical in my mind. The disadvantages of crying as a survival tool.

[@Skapo]

I'm bookmarking this for the next time someone talks about war like it's a good thing. War is hell.

[@RichardDominguezTheMagicIsReal]

Grave of the fireflies is a heartbreaking story that has a profound effect on me every time I watch it, this story just touches something deep in me that cries out for all the children who suffer through no fault of their own ... Thanks so much for sharing this

[@blanith]

Much like Grave of the Fireflies, this is important and I am glad I watched it. I will proceed to never watch it again.

[@TheRedDragon5000]

I saw the picture somewhere on the internet and had to come back here to comment. It hit me so hard again realising that she covered her face not from the sun, but from the fear that she was about to be shot. I cried my face off, I "watched" this video a long time ago, but I usually just let it play in the background and haven't seen the picture. If I could like this video again I would, hopefully you'll make many more like this. Thank you.

[@gianghuynh9570]

I think the Internet is probably the one tool that will help us prevent war, because it helps us comprehend the perspective of victims of war. I too have a story to share, from someone I have met in real life. In Australia when I went there to study I often visit a family of a lawyer, they were refugees fleeing Saigon after the fall in 1975. The couple are friends of my parents, as they often travel to Vietnam to visit. He told me the story of how his family was affected by the war. Their family were landowners in the south, and did quite well for themselves. But the Vietcong movement disrupted the southern society to open the inevitable Northern invasion. One of the more radical members carried out an attack on the guy’s family, throwing a grenade in their house when everyone was asleep. It killed 3 of his siblings and wounded his mum. That’s why their family became afraid of the Northern ideology, and when the war effort went badly for the southern government, they knew they had to go. They traveled to Australia via smuggler’s boats. He told me on the trip the women had to smear feces on their face and the men hide under the deck so that pirates won’t kill them or rape the women, and they were told to bring as much jewellery as they can to offer the pirates. When they landed in Australia they were held in refugee camps, with little food. The guy told me how he waddled in pond of human waste to pick vegetables to make soup for his family. Eventually the Red Cross sorted out the refugees and assigned each family a country and region to go to. The lady’s family is split up and her sisters and their family are assigned to European countries, while her husband and she get assigned to live in Melbourne. They built a successful life there. And despite everything that happened and hardship that they went through, all they feel about Vietnam is a strong sense of belonging and loss. They still treated it as their homeland and returned to visit as much as they can, whenever they can. I am young and grew up the system that drove them away, and I am taught about the northern side of the war. Through them I understood that in that war nobody were really at fault when it comes to the Vietnamese, you can totally blame the Americans for that. The Northern side didn’t try to spread communism to the south, they simply saw the south as the missing part of a unified country still under oppression. The south saw the north as tyrannical communists through American propaganda, while the US saw Vietnam as a threat to their ideology and society. In the end it’s the people that suffered, so many displaced people. So the lesson we should all learn is, think about the people and the children when you wanna do war. You should see that it’s never a good choice.

[@kingofthecatnap6246]

Thanks to Daniel Ellsberg (the Pentagon Papers) most Americans are aware that the Bay of Tonkin attack was a lie used invade Vietnam.

[@wayfarerzen]

More tearjerking than the namesaked movie. God.

[@jrhoadley]

War holds a strange place in our society. In many ways, we worship it, hold it up as the ultimate arbiter of the righteous and non-righteous. But the people who decide to go to war are almost never those who fight it, and those who suffer the most are never those who make the decision to go to war in the first place. The enemy of humanity is not those on the other side of war, it is war itself.

[@bartolomeestebanmurillo4459]

Grave of the Fireflies was written by Akiyuki Nosaka who wrote it in the 60s as an apology to his sister who died of malnutrition similar to her fictitious portrayal.

[@user-ne3ze4zz7r]

Wow. Just wow. It's been a long time since I've watched such a heart-wrenching video.

[@AnnoyingPyroMa1n]

War never changes, no matter which side or perspective we are viewing from. No one should suffer as Tomiko did. This is a message none of us wants to hear, but we need to.

[@anthimatter]

Damn man. The feels. This had tears rolling down my face while I ate the ashes that my breakfast had become. Thank you for telling her story and making me feel human today.

[@OfficialAwkbe]

The director of the famous Japanese cult-classic Battle Royale was 15 years old when his class was drafted to make ammunition for the military. Their warehouse was bombed and students dove under each other to survive, only to have to bury the bodies of their friends afterwards. It was the inspiration for Battle Royale - where the government forced students to kill each other to survive. War is a horrible thing...

[@pl0shiee]

I feel so sad for her. I’m so sorry for her brother and parents. And I lost it when the old people in the cave decided to save her, im so glad they did. I’m so glad she made it.

[@tonymoretti2347]

This guy is a great story teller . just wow

[@jhoanacasillas6390]

Sometimes you need to hear stories like this to remind us how privliged we are in our lives. I'm just going to cry for tomiko and all the people that had to go through this and are still going through it nowadays. Wish I knew what us regular people can do to stop these atrocities from happening.

[@BVDPNV]

thanks for keeping history alive evan, everytime i see your videos pop up i know im in for an emotional rollercoaster. I hope to keep seeing you on youtube, as you have truely changed my perspective on this earth for the better

[@gelregio8978]

I grew up with my grandparents and I ended up sobbing when they took her in and helped her live. I never cried this hard from watching a true story video. This just broke my heart.

[@INeverUseThisLol]

As soon as the photo showed up the tears just started flowing. Hell I'm tearing up again writing this comment, this video was so difficult to watch. Every single person should have to watch it though, so that we can make sure these things never happen again. Incredibly powerful video, great job Evan.

[@jdd5672]

Well that was the most emotionally wretching thing Ill watch all year, thumbs up

[@MrSteve280]

My family was stationed on Okinawa in January 1963. I had just turned eight. I couldn't understand the significance of what happened less than seventeen years earlier when I played in caves full of bones and found bullets and other artifacts of the war. My sister and I have a very special and close connection to Okinawa but not the Okinawa that you see today. It was the most adventurous three years of our lives without realizing the horrors that most of the local people lived through. Our maid would have been about the age of Tomiko during the war. I can't imagine what she saw.

[@classycompositions932]

The Joker seems like a cheerful childrens movie compared to this.

[@Sabinsandinsky]

bahahahahahaha

[@grendo45]

Not really man. The joker is partially about childhood trauma and violent abuse and it causing mental illness as well as lifelong suffering. That's maybe less fucked up, but still really fucking sad if you think about it, even in comparison to this.

[@usedretainer3301]

Classy Compositions well joker was a pretty dark movie too. It’s about a man who just wanted to spread joy but in return he only got pain, violence, and rejection. Plus he was mentally ill too and mentally ill people usually think the wrong way when fixing or trying to find happiness again. With this video, yeah it may seem like nothing but they’re both serious topics we shouldn’t joke about. Being mentally ill is not a choice, along with seeing your world fall apart and the innocent people around you die of a death they didn’t get to choose. Some of them did choose their death because they no longer wanted to suffer anymore but having the courage to live takes a lot of courage during those times.

[@CheshireCesare]

grendo44 I mean... as emotional as it might be, The Joker is still fiction, though.. what children went through during this war was not..

[@grendo45]

@@CheshireCesare I really don't think that makes much of a difference here. The exact story of the joker is fictional, but many events and phenomenons shown are very real and affect millions of people. If someone made a fictional movie, inspired by the invasion of okinawa, showing equal levels of cruelty, would that then be a cheerful childrens movie or not sad because it is fictional? You can tell yourself arthur fleck isn't real, while you can't tell yourself that about tomiko. However for both arthur and tomiko there are thousands or even more untold stories about real people very much like them.

[@sixstringtherapy5038]

This was one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever heard. I was finishing up my work day as this came on auto play. Made for some awkward/worried interactions with my crew as I attempted to get to my vehicle. I sincerely appreciate you telling this most horrible story. It's essential to keep fresh in our minds, the horrific ways we are able to treat our fellow humans, when we start to see them as "the other". Your channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites on this platform.

[@plaza8470]

Heck I cry every time I watch Grave of the Fireflies.

[@macbuff81]

Thank you for creating these very beautiful documentaries. They illustrate real depth and meaning. I love the slow pace as well. These days so many people rush things passing by the opportunity to appreciate stillness and reflection.

[@JasonRuppVlog]

That was powerful. Thank you for the story.

[@AHylianWarrior]

Your video was recommended to me by another youtuber I watched just through passing the time until suddenly on my recommended feed, there was Rare Earth. I've been on a binge of your videos ever since.

[@-haclong2366]

He pointed a weapon she had never seen before, and then he shot her.

[@sourpuss5951]

Good thing the word "shoot" has more than one meaning.

[@kokonana4086]

I have no idea how I sat and listened through your entire piece. Yet, by the end of the clip, I found myself sobbing and flood of tears rolling down my cheeks.

[@gothbunny]

One of my grandfathers fought in the Pacific theater, including the invasion of Japan. (after the bombs dropped. He was mainland, not Okinawa.) My mother let me scan in and read his letters from the front. He was never one to sugar coat things and he wrote with an open journalists eye. The horrors he described still haunt me. It's been 17 years since I've read those letters. My other grandfather fought in the European theater, he kept a journal till the day he died, and he told me experiences he had. Again, second hand events I'll never be able to forget. He told me that he needed to pass them on to me because I was the next generation, I would be able to keep the lessons he learned about cruelty, hate, kindness and compassion fresh in mine and the next generation minds. It's hard for us that have never experienced war first hand to even comprehend Tomiko's story, and countless others. We've become removed from them by comfort and peace, which aren't bad things. My point would be summed up as; remember Tomiko, remember her story, and always be kind.

[@vmcelvis]

Exceptional production. I was spellbound by the unraveling story that no matter the hopelessness she faced daily, she always chose life. A Victor Frankl nightmare scenario through the eyes and intellect of a 7 year old girl taking it all in stride. Thanks for such an inspiring chronicle

[@bretdaley6869]

This one left me in tears, Thank You 💖

[@Gatsu1Berserk]

Dude, you took me by surpise with this one. I know you guys know how to captivate people, but this one just took me by the throat. Amazing story and you made me cry like a river... but sometimes thats not a bad thing. Sometimes, it makes you stand still and think about things. Something we all do far to little these days. So thank you, and please, dont ever stop with what you're doing here.

[@anshagrawal254]

Take this comment for the algorithm

[@sh1murai]

i first saw this first closer to its release, not right after but not long, and it crushed me. every now and again ill remember it or find it again for various reasons. often i choose not to watch, knowing ill likely just get crushed again. today was the 4th time because i thought "id seen it before and i know it, i'm recommending the channel to some friends, with this video as an example. so i should make sure this is as good yet horrid as my memory says" and I'm wrong for the 3rd time, once again shedding tears for a time and people ill never know. and being reminded a story like this wasnt unique, not in its time and place. nor now amongst conflicts we subject eachother too. likely not the right comment or comment section but despite this being a crushing outlier id like to thank you for the videos you guys make. amazingly smaller, more digestible aspects and stories of the world. and congratulations on 1 million subscribers. likely would have been best to say on a more recent video but i appreciate the work you do and want to express it while the emotions in my brain are hot and fresh.

[@tarahoover3274]

She was brave in ways that most adults could never be. Her courage did her credit, her strength got her through against the worst odds. It's a sad story but it's a story about surviving war. Beautiful video, thankyou.

[@AniSayakhom]

the grandma and grandpa part got me hurt the most. i cried dawg 😭

[@DrHotep]

This video made me support you via Patreon. In my opinion your Channel is the best KZbin has to offer and it needs to be supported. Thank you very much Evan and I hope the best for the future.

[@davidcarrajola2863]

I follow you for two years now i guess... Best Episode of Rare Earth untill date, congratulations.

[@mattstreckfuss9678]

Thank you. Your channel mean so much to me. The stories are raw and painful at times - but powerful and important. This story brought tears - but helped to bring light into the madness of war. Thank you for what you do

[@jakemarchbank]

It can always happen here, anything can happen anywhere

[@julijakeit]

it teaches to just really appreciate the comforts most of us have. the horrors some people have to witness to this day whenever the war is ongoing. Like Syria. how many Tomikas or Tomiks still walk this earth is unknown and the people concentrate on mundane nonsense on the news.

[@mcav1399]

I'm crying right now. All most all the stories you put up are sad, or disheartening, but this one... A whole different level. The way you tell the stories you do is just awe inspired, I hope you never plan to stop

[@moraine2442]

That shirt is waging a war on the video compression algorithm

[@possiblyadickhead6653]

yea most definitely

[@RareEarthSeries]

It was not fun to try to edit that shirt.

[@OzGeologyOfficial]

This channel is an absolute gem. The storytelling style used in the videos over a standard documentary based style is truly wonderful. Well done. Sub'd!

[@naanamora3282]

This story teared me up. You’re a great storyteller. An Aesop of our time. Thanks for sharing