―・・(Arrived at the seabed.)
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A photo collection by Japanese photographer Kanade Hamamoto, based in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, compiling the results of her exploration into naval suicide bomber strategies '伏龍' (Fukuryu - loosely translated as 'Hidden Dragon') - a top-secret project pursued by the Imperial Japanese Navy toward the end of World War II.
The strategy was devised in preparation for the imminent battle on the Japanese mainland following the US troops alighting at Okinawa. The tactics would have involved young Japanese boys waiting under the sea line in shallow waters with diving equipment and mines for the moment when an enemy naval landing craft would pass by overhead and detonate themselves in self-sacrifice in order to cripple the vessels.
The war ended soon after this operation was devised, so no actual bombings were carried out; however, many young boys lost their lives during training due to equipment defects and accidents.
Most documents and records related to the plan were designated as 'classified information' and were destroyed shortly after the war. The only information remaining about '伏龍' Fukuryu consists of a limited number of documents and survivor testimonies. 80 years after the end of World War II, the existence of '伏龍' Fukuryu has gradually faded from memory with the passage of time.
Approaching this subject matter sensitively, the artist extensively researched the memoirs of surviving crew members. In order to better understand the conditions of the bombers firsthand, she cross-referenced maps to pinpoint the actual locations where the training and operations would have taken place and undertook diving excursions herself to experience, document, and record particularly the sights and sounds mentioned in the memoirs.
She delved into the psychological state of mind possibly experienced by the child soldiers through her own senses - sight, sound, feeling through body temperature, and more.
This book features photographs taken by Hamamoto, alongside documentary records concerning the 1945 tactics '伏龍' Fukuryu, and diaries written by her during her research. It also includes a 7-inch record featuring the material recorded by the photographer and arranged by singer-songwriter Ōzora Kimishima.
It is hoped that this body of work will provide an opportunity to contemplate both the past and present of 'Operation 伏龍' Fukuryu from both visual and auditory perspectives.