Reiko Iida, 93, Recalls Classroom Questioning Japan’s Future After 1945

Reiko Iida, 93, who lives in Katase, recalls the immediate postwar days when students left a devastated school and entered a new classroom, where her question — “Teacher, how will we conquer the world now?” — fell flat. The article reflects on how patriotic rhetoric like “for the country” disappeared from everyday life as children and teachers confronted the reality of defeat and the need to rebuild. Iida’s memory highlights the abrupt shift in attitudes and the loss of nationalist expectations among her generation after the war. The piece marks 81 years since the end of the war and centers on personal testimony rather than political analysis.