WWII survivor recalls wartime ordeal at peace park

TOKYO, Japan - Ikuko Yasuda, 89, stands in front of the Peace Tower at Heiwadai Park in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 15, 2014, recalling her experiences as a student during World War I, including being enlisted to help level the ground for the tower's construction and sending off "kamikaze" suicide attack squads. The tower was originally constructed in 1940 to celebrate the 2,600th anniversary of the ascension of Japan's mythical first emperor and bears the inscription "Hakko Ichiu," meaning "united under one roof," a phrase often used by imperialists rallying for Japanese reign in Asia during the war. (Photo by Makoto Hori)