A group of Japanese schoolboys , in their early teens , are shown attending instruction courses for work in armament factories as Japan follows Germany in attempting to stave off defeat by sacrificing young and old to its war machine . The boys are garbed in military type work uniforms . Japan ' s Minister of Education , General Harushige Ninomiya , announced on 6 October 1944 , that the country ' s " increased war production " remained " a critical problem " .