Katsumoto Saotome (早乙女勝元, Saotome Katsumoto; March 26, 1932 – May 10, 2022) was a Japanese writer, children's book author, and pacifist. His work has been crucial in raising awareness of war dead, such as air raids. As a member of "Burnt-out ruins generation" (Also known as Yakeato Generation (1930–1945)), Saotome dedicated his life to documenting and preserving the stories of Asia-Pacific War in World War II, such as civilian victims of firebombs in Kanto Region including Tokyo Prefecture between March and August 1945. He was one of a leading voice in ensuring Japanese civilian victims of air raids were not forgotten by Japanese history of Japanese government. He published his numerous books and documentary films, with private funds, established a museum in eastern Tokyo to memorialized war victims and ensure their experiences were not forgotten.
Source: “Katsumoto Saotome”, English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), excerpt