The center for Tokyo raids and war damages

On the 18th of april, 1942, Tokyo had it's first taste of the American bombing campaign over mainland Japan in the form of the "Doolittle raid". While the city suffered only superficial damage from the allied raid, it was to be an omen of the bombings that proceeded it.

Over the course of 2 years, the vast majority of Tokyo would be reduced to rubble, shattering any delusions of a Japanese victory.

Tokyo center district, before the "great Tokyo bombings" of 1944.

Tokyo center district, after the "great Tokyo bombings" of 1944. Whitened out areas indicate incinerated areas

Often taking a hind leg in notoriety to the atomic bombings Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the great Tokyo bombings saw anywhere from 84,000 to 115,000 dead and over 3,100,000 residents displaced. The center for Tokyo raids and war damages is a likewise forgotten relic of the Japanese economic bubble.

Main building, taken from across the street

Currently under the private ownership of Dr. Yutaka Yoshida, the center maitains operations largely through donations by generous individuals, and generally fails to match the tradgety of the event by the grandeur of the building it owns. The humble appearances can be deceptive to the wealth of trinkets and information contained within its walls.

Exhibitions range from trinkets and recreations related to the military of both sides like disarmed American firebombs or Japanese anti-aircraft guns, to recreations of wartime japanese households and wartime propaganda; items related on it's base to the Japanese homefront. Detached from the number of interesting exhibitions on the second floor, visitors can be privy to a small library with support staff, possibly also attend live retelling from survivors of the Tokyo bombings depending on the date of visit. It's is of worth to note that the museum offers guides in English, German and Spanish, a sad rarity in japan.

Map

(Their webpage)

https://tokyo-sensai.net/old/english_page/index.html