Its an adaptation of a autobiography written by a Japanese man who survived the war as a child. What happened in the movie essentially happened to the main character. I say “essentially” because what actually happened to him and his sister is much worse than what happened in the movie.

Remember, no matter what atrocities the country commits, there are innocent bistanders on all sides. Quoting the incredible TV show MASH

War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse. [sic] There are no innocent bystanders in Hell, but war is chock full of them – little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for a few of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.