As the number of people with firsthand experience of World War II declines rapidly in Japan, those born after the war are working to preserve memories of that time by taking over the role of storytellers from survivors.

A project to foster the next generation of storytellers, commissioned by the welfare ministry, was launched in 2019 at two national museums in Tokyo — the Historical Materials Hall for the Wounded and Sick Retired Soldiers, etc., or Shokei-kan; and the National Showa Memorial Museum, or Showa-kan.

Those who want to become storytellers under the program must undergo roughly three years of training.