I really feel sorry for you, hearing how
your hands get cold and cracked because of
the cold weather and water in winter.
Whenever you use water, make sure you
dry your hands and then rub them until
they get warm.
(December 11, 1944)
This letter was written by Kuribayashi
Tadamichi to his wife. He was a commander
on Iwoto, a battlefield during World War II.
He wrote many letters to her from there.
Iwoto is a small flat island that lies 1,250
km south of Tokyo. One of the hardest
battles between Japan and the US was fought
there. The island was a very important place
for both the US and Japan. For Japan, it was
the last base to protect the mainland.