4 real historical locations · Japan
Clint Eastwood's companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, told entirely from the Japanese perspective. Following General Kuribayashi and his men defending the volcanic island against the American assault in 1945, it humanises the enemy with remarkable empathy and dignity.
CinemaMapped has mapped 4 real historical locations where the story takes place, spanning Japan.
The Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese defenders' perspective — General Kuribayashi's last stand.
General Kuribayashi abandoned traditional banzai charges and built a network of 18km of tunnels and fortified caves. His defensive strategy forced 36 days of brutal fighting and cost more American casualties than any ...
View location →General Kuribayashi's final command post, where he sent his last message to Tokyo before leading a final charge.
General Kuribayashi relocated his HQ north to Kitano Point as US forces advanced. He sent his final telegram on March 23, 1945, was promoted posthumously to full general, and led a final banzai charge. His remains hav...
View location →The three Japanese airfields that made Iwo Jima strategically vital — capturing them would give B-29s a fighter escort base for bombing Japan.
After the battle, the Iwo Jima airfields served as emergency landing strips for over 2,200 B-29s that would otherwise have been lost at sea. Each B-29 carried eleven men — meaning Iwo Jima may have saved more American...
View location →Colonel Nishi, Olympic gold medalist turned tank commander, makes his final stand at the ridge bearing his name.
Colonel Takeichi Nishi won Japan's 1932 Los Angeles Olympic gold medal in show jumping. He commanded the 26th Tank Regiment on Iwo Jima and died in March 1945. His international fame made him a symbol of Japan's sacri...
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