Synopsis
This film depicts the Battle of Okinawa during the final days of World War II. As part of the island-hopping campaign, the fierce combat on Okinawa devastated the population, ravaged the land, and left a permanent scar on the Okinawan people. After the war, Okinawa came under the control of the United States military. With no goods available and an extreme scarcity of natural resources, the Okinawans faced a desperate daily struggle to obtain the basic necessities of life. Despite their dire situation, they used song and dance to lift their spirits and make the best of their circumstances. However, the constant shelling, bombing, and fighting between Japanese and American forces had destroyed nearly everything of value on the island, making regular sanshin—an Okinawan musical instrument and precursor to the Japanese shamisen—extremely scarce and difficult to find. The Americans supplied the Okinawans with powdered milk and other items to help prevent starvation. From those food cans, the people found a way to bring music back into their lives.