Americans Always Seemed To Be A Step Ahead Of Us

(Part 4) Watch our video “Americans Always Seemed To Be A Step Ahead Of Us” and delve into the intense history of the Japanese airmen through the personal memoirs of a Japanese Kamikaze pilot. Witness firsthand account of the challenges and chaos faced by Japanese aviators during World War II. Explore the remarkable stories that shed light on the relentless determination of both sides in this pivotal conflict. Join us for a unique perspective on history and subscribe for more compelling insights into the past.
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August 15th
1945 the established objective for tigai
sorties was to Pummel the US Fleet
especially targeting big prizes like
carriers if at all possible we were
usually not encouraged to dive into
Convoy ships even if they were sitting
ducks in the ocean below this time
however we were ordered on a one-way
sorti to do as much damage as possible
to anything that took our fancy all of
us had bombs strapped to our bellies and
there were no
escorts our order was simple die every
single remaining zero in Taiwan gathered
in yilan and some transferred from there
to ishigaki Jima in preparation for a
massive concerted attack scheduled for
August
13th I was ready to die and had no
doubts in my mind that this would be the
end the sauty on August 13th was
postponed because of the weather the
next day we received New Order orders to
sorty on August 15th and were briefed of
the formations in which we would fly to
our surprise the leader of our Squadron
a graduate of the Naval Academy was to
lead us in the first zero even though he
had never been rostered before it was
all very bizarre attacks by us bombers
had ceased and something was very amiss
some Airmen complained there was no way
decent targets can be located without
Intelligence on the enemy’s
whereabouts do do they really expect us
to dive into Convoy ships they’re taking
the piss we were all prepared to die if
ordered to do so but now I was supposed
to compromise the value of my final
moments on this Earth by scraping the
bottom of the barrel if that was the way
it was going to be then I’d just have to
smash into the biggest Convoy ship I
could
find August 15th came it was scorching
weather shortly before noon the green
body of my zero was so hot to the touch
that it burned my finger One Pilot
boarded his zero wearing a light shirt
intending to put on his flight uniform
after reaching altitude others didn’t
even bother wearing their flight caps
although the order was for all available
zeros to make this last ditched one-way
sorty there was only a poultry 30
machines
altogether when the tiger tie was first
formed there were about 150 zeros but
many were destroyed in Air Raids I
boarded my Z with a feeling of
frustration and futility as I am sure
the others did like carp on a cutting
board a flimsy tent was erected beside
the runway as a command post officers
and maintenance crew lined up next to
the tent to bid us farewell although I
don’t remember seeing any high- ranking
officers the grassy Runway was parallel
to the coastline and was only 1,000 M
long the width of the runway was about
70 to 80 M the the surface was cratered
from bombing raids maintenance did their
best to smooth the surface but it was
going to be exceedingly difficult to get
airborne with 500 kg
bombs we were to take off to the South
with the beautiful Pacific Ocean
glistening to our left about 30 zeros
were going to depart in teams of four I
was in the front line piloting the third
zero of the first section I took my
position to the left rear of the leader
the rockus woring of engines pounded our
ears and blew dust into the air the
leader signaled departure by opening his
hands to each side to which the ground
Crews removed the stoppers wedged under
the tires the first zero started to
crawl forward taking this as my queue I
released the throttle and my zero
lurched into motion at that very moment
I noticed a vehicle hurtling toward us a
soldier in the car seemed to be shouting
not that he could be heard over the
howling engine
he made a big cross with his arms
perplexed at the sudden intrusion I
stopped my zero just behind the leaders
abort attack the vehicle slid to a halt
in front of the principal zero to block
its path a mechanic jumped onto my wing
and told me that the mission had been
cancelled we were ordered back to the
command post so we jumped in the truck
we had no idea what was happening but
were notified in the commotion that an
important radio broadcast was due to
start any minute
the reception was poor and it was barely
audible but there was no mistaking the
blue blooded voice of the emperor
emanating from the crackling
speakers Japan had accepted total
surrender I heard somebody murmur ah
it’s over we were dumb struck at first
and then as if to confirm that we had he
the announcement correctly asid each
other if the war was really over does
that mean that we don’t need to fly
zeros again I initially thought that the
war had ended rather than Japan had been
defeated it also hit me that my life had
for some reason been spared I would live
to see another day after all before long
however various doubts began to cloud my
mind what the hell would happen to Japan
what’s going to happen to me I can’t get
back in my zero so I suppose I’d better
get out of my
uniform but then what can I go home I
was confused adding to my agitation was
the fact that we were stopped as we were
coasting down the runway had the vehicle
come even a minute later I would not be
alive to relay this
story it was in October 1944 when I
volunteered as kamikazi pilot 10 or so
months had passed and I had already
turned 18 it felt as though I had awoken
from a bad dream when the dust settled
we were instructed to return to our
Fleet and flew from yilan to ta chong
this time instead of preparing to meet
our deaths in a blaze of glory it felt
like we were taking a lasery sightseeing
Excursion the tig’s last hurah a formal
tigai report outlined what happened in
the leadup to this fateful moment on
August 13 an order was issued for a
one-way kamakazi Sati to destroy enemy
shipping around the main island of
okanawa in accordance with this
ultimatum all tigai Airmen were
marshaled and put on standby some in
ishigakijima and the rest at yilan
Airbase the Sati was suspended however
as Scout planes were unable to locate
the enemy and because the weather was
deteriorating although Commander Tami
ordered sores until this time to obtain
more leverage for negotiating conditions
of surrender he was doubtful if kamikazi
missions would have any impact After
Japan ascented to the potam Declaration
tamai was pressured by his superiors to
deploy the tigar on August 15th just
before the mission commenced the
emperor’s announcement of surrender was
broadcast and the order was
revoked it has been noted that in the
final days of the war Japan’s leaders
adopted a strategy referred to as one
more attack then
negotiation this was to elevated Japan
to a better position to parley terms
with the alas by showing that they still
had much to losy the fundamental flaw
with this strategy was that Japan had
not the means to make any substantial
offensive operations the adoption of
this tactic was subsequently criticized
as delaying the peace process and
causing unwarranted suffering and
hardship ordering kamikazi suicide
missions was an act of absolute futility
but those responsible for persevering
with this approach have never been
brought to task as for the tigai from
the first suicide mission on April 1st
through to the last successful one 23rd
ad mission on June 22nd a total of 245
Zer sorted resulting in the deaths of 46
Pilots of the casualties 76% were yoker
and graduates the rest were student
draes furthermore 88% of the suicide
bombers were Airmen of low rank in terms
of the damage caused to Allied Shipping
three vessels were destroyed one small
carrier two Convoy ships 10 sustained
heavy damage four large carriers four
middle-sized carriers one small carrier
and one destroyer and over 10 aircraft
were shot down the order of
nightmares even now I still have bad
dreams about that final order to sorti I
cannot reconcile what it was all for why
were we a squadron specially organized
to attack US carriers told to attack
Convoy ships anchored off the Sea of
okanawa nobody has been able to answer
this I suspect that Tami knew Japan was
going to accept the potam Declaration
before August 14th yet he still ordered
all his Airmen to use the remaining
operational planes in a last ditched
assault on Convoy
ships I believe that tamay and the other
brass cared little about our Lives why
could the terms of surrender not be
concluded with kamikazi Pilots still
alive was it their intention to inform
the Americans that all kamikazi suicide
bombers had perished my tells me that
this was the motivation for sending us
to our deaths otherwise I cannot
comprehend why we were dispatched to
destroy Such trivial targets I don’t
know who decided to send us to our
Graves without escorts I want to believe
that our superiors were in the fight
with us if not in body then at least in
spirit and would not sacrifice us
lightly if there was any other way we
talked amongst ourselves conjecturing
that this heartless mandate must have
come from the combined Fleet head
quarter in Tokyo rather than those
directly above us my Fury over this
unconscionable directive has never
abated Saved By radio waves there was a
huge difference in radio technology
between Japan and the Allies often we
would fly into an area where sightings
of enemy shipping were reported only to
find there was nothing there if they had
been there by the time we reached the
area they had already moved out of range
on other occasions we encountered enemy
Fighters even though Scout planes
reported that the skies were clear I
figured that the Americans were keeping
tabs on our movements by radar or with
their submarines as we were taking off
they always seemed to be a step ahead
our airbases also had radar equipment I
had seen them in use once but the
scrawling white lines on the monitor
were impossible to make head or tail of
the operator told me that Japanese
Radars were practically useless I sensed
that Japan was lagging way behind the
allly I not only in Naval and air
superiority but also with its radio
technology ironically this may have been
a factor that allowed me to survive the
war saitama’s distinguished Trio of
birds there were three Cadets in the
yoker and B Class referred to by
everyone as the three birds of saitama
the three were kinzo kasuya Hiroshi
Toyota and me kasuya was the eldest son
of prominent farming family Toyota was
the Second Son of fishmonger both had
EXC ENT grades at school and Toyota was
head boy of his class the three of us
took the yaran entrance examination
together and became close friends
prepared to die together as cherry
blossom Brothers both kasuya and Toyota
were killed in the war I was the only
one left of the trio Toyota was posted
from Iwakuni to Borneo where he
undertook combat training fuel supplies
were dwindling at the time so some yaren
graduates were sent overseas where there
were enough fuel reserves to train in
the middle of October 1944 shortly after
my arrival in clarkfield I heard zeros
coming into Land one evening I went out
to see who it was a few Airmen all
lighted their planes and among them was
Toyota hey there toyoda hi Kazu it was a
happy reunion as we had not seen each
other since
Iwakuni happy though it was the get
together was shortlived I visited his
Barracks the following morning to catch
up but he had already gone I never heard
anything from or about him after this
chance meeting but assumed that he was
alive and well somewhere it was not
until a few years after the war when I
learned of Toyota’s death it seems that
he had flown to Manila that morning from
there he sorted as a kamikazi suicide
bomber but the base was destroyed in an
American raid shortly after his
departure so there were no details of
what happened to him I assume he was
triumphant his two rank post postumus
promotion suggests this was the case
those killed in action were usually
promoted one rank those who died with
distinction such as kamikazi Pilots were
promoted two ranks kasuya sorted from a
base in kushu in a shiden kai and
smashed his aircraft into a b29 in May
1945 I heard afterwards that he
intercepted a formation of b29 heading
home after a bombing run kasuya dove
into a b29 above Tada City in OA
prefecture the b29 crashed but the
crewman bailed out with parachutes
kasuya somehow managed to exit his plane
but his parachute failed to open and he
fell to his death on property owned by
the kuboyama family A Daughter of the
family saw him falling from the sky and
ran out to help but he was dead on
impact I believe he was awarded two
ranks poster musle in 1980 Mr kuboyama
erected a stone monument for him him a
memorial ceremony was held in which
former American soldiers also attended
unfortunately I was unable to
go Monument inscription late in the
spring of
1945 in the last stages of War as the
battles in Okinawa raged major cities in
the mainland were constantly being
blitzed by American bombers the war
situation had become desperate and the
Japanese were preparing for the
impending Invasion and death in the
defense of the
motherland on the morning on May 5th a
fine day a formation of
b29 which had completed a bombing run on
cities in Northern kushu appeared in the
sky overhead a Japanese fighter plane
from omura Airbase in Nagasaki
intercepted and dove into a b29 at full
speed it was a Brave and Bold move the
Silver Wings of the b29 folded as it
erupted in Fire and crashed into into
this hill the Japanese fighter also
crashed in a deep valley the aircraft
was a shiden Kai one of the finest in
the Imperial Japanese
Navy the pilot was a young man of 19
named kasuya his remains are enshrined
in the village hall he hailed from
mosima Village present day tokorozawa
city iruma county in saitama prefecture
his soul rests to this day in the valley
30 years passed when we decided to erect
this monument in memory of his sacrifice
to our nation’s future his precious life
is a rock in its
foundation March 1980 an earlier
Monument was erected near the resting
place of the
b29 the inscription reads as follows in
May 1945 Japan looked close to losing
the war and her people were undergoing
severe hardship the main land was bombed
incessantly by b29 and the battles
taking place in Okinawa looked to be
utterly hopeless for the
Japanese 100 million Japanese people
prepared to defend the country with
their lives a little after 8:00 a.m. on
May 5th
1945 a Japanese fighter plane chased a
formation of b29 returning from an
attack on tachara Airbase in the
outskirts of karum City it battled
ferociously in the skies above nairi
County in OA prefecture this area and
crashed dived into a
b29 the b29 exploded in a ball of fire
and plummeted to the ground the Japanese
fighter fell from the sky and the Airman
a young Navy pilot was found dead with a
letter to his mother in his chest
pocket 12 American crewmen bailed out of
the bomber and landed safely with their
parachutes they were subjected to
Violent abuse by enraged villagers and
some of the Airmen were killed eight
more died in human experiments conducted
at the Imperial University of kushu we
think back on this tragedy of 33 years
ago and the Dreadful fates of these men
still weigh heavily on our haunted
consciences here we erect this monument
and remember them in a ceremony that
transcends emotions of affinity and
enmity we pray for the souls of all the
deceased and dedicate this Monument to
their memory in the Deep felt hope that
such a tragedy never be
repeated May 5th 197 27 kasuya and
Toyota were both cheerful nice Lads
seven or eight of us visited Toyota’s
house and Grave after the war I heard
kya’s older sister took over the Family
household following his death but I felt
hesitant to visit out of a sense of
guilt we did not think Japan would lose
the war when we entered the yaren as the
situation deteriorated and the fighting
became desperate we all managed the
adversity with Grace and dignity the war
brought the best out in US but it was
truly heartbreaking for we who happened
to survive we vowed to perish together
with our brothers shortly after the war
I arranged an annual Memorial ceremony
for the 205th Heir group veterans each
year for 30 years we met and stayed at a
hotel near the Yasukuni Shrine where we
drank and talked until dawn it was
through these reunions that I learned
what happened to my two wonderful
friends Toyota and kasuya I also sought
many times with katsumi Kagawa he was
with me in the fifth tigai Mission when
we signaled to each other to forgo crash
diving into the submarine we boarded the
same train from kagoshima to return home
following repatriation after the war he
lived in Hiroshima so would stay at my
house after our yearly reunions before
making the long trip back by
train I had an opportunity to go to
Hiroshima on Metropolitan Police
business in 197 21 I suggested that we
meet up he was married and driving taxis
then we stayed up till late and talked
for hours but hardly ever mentioned the
war we mostly chatted about news of
mutual friends some things that were
just too painful to revisit and we still
embraced a simmering rage about what
went on at the end of it all those who
attended the 205th Air Group reunions
were mainly yaran graduates and some
student draes Chan mongji or of Sora to
um noed beyond the ends of the sky and
sea was a student draft and secretary to
vice admiral onishi commanderin-chief of
number one Fleet he attended without
fail every year of our Superior officers
from those dark days vice admiral onishi
committed suicide by seppuku to take
responsibility I think that he was
indeed responsible it was he who ordered
us to sacrifice Our Lives I heard that
he said to the those close to him I too
am no longer alive he killed himself the
day after surrender as for Tami
commander of the 205th Air Group instead
of killing himself to atone he took up
the ton Shore and became a Buddhist
priest he dedicated the rest of his life
to plating The Souls of his dead men I
think their decisions show a stark
difference in life philosophy and
conscience some of our superiors sent
young men to their deaths saying you go
first I will follow many of them did not
follow through I wonder how most of them
lived with themselves after the War
kamikazi casualties kamikazi suicide
attacks met with some degree of success
around the beginning in October
1944 both the Navy and army utilized
this tactic continually at the front in
the Philippines at the battles in
Okinawa many suicide planes took off
from bases in Kyushu and Taiwan to
Target Allied troop ships
not limited to zeros almost all Navy and
army aircraft were used for kamikazi
attacks in the final stages of
hostilities even canvas covered training
planes were commandeered most however
were shot down by intercepting Fighters
before reaching enemy ships those which
managed to evade interceptors were often
shot down by high- performance
anti-aircraft machine guns on the ships
nevertheless it has been estimated that
around 11% another source claims 16% of
kamikazi Airmen successfully reached
their intended targets it is true that
the kamikazi caused more damage than
conventional attacks approximately 3,600
Army and Navy aircraft were used in
kamikazi attacks in the 10 months from
October 1944 to August
1945 there is varying data concerning
the number of kamikazi casualties one
official document Rec recognizes the
names of all those who perished in
kamikazi attacks
2,517 Navy and
1,440 Army Personnel making
3,957 in total as for the damage caused
by kamikazi missions 34 ships were sunk
with around 300 sustaining damage among
those sunk three were escorting carriers
13 were destroyers and 18 other types of
vessels the 300 that were damaged
included 16 regular carriers 20
escorting carriers 15 battleships 15
Cruisers and 101 destroyers the Navy
already started developing various
weapons for suicide missions before the
commencement of zero kamikazi attacks
among them okar was a kind of single-man
Rocket carried to its Target by a type 1
ground
attacker the uker was released When
approaching the Target and hurtled into
the enemy ship the kiten was a small
one-man submarine with a warhead located
at the front it was transported by a
destroyer and fired at the enemy which
is why it was called it human torpedo
the Shino was a small motorboat loaded
with explosives that was driven into
enemy shipping all of these weapons were
deployed in battle and more were in the
process of being developed when the war
came to an end according to American
sources suicide missions did succeed in
delaying the US advance in the
Philippines and
Okinawa prominent Japanese novelist
shohi ohoka who himself was drafted into
the army and served in the Philippines
published a famous book titled War
Chronicle of late in it he writes the
following although it was touted that
Japanese victory was imminent by this
stage of the war none of the
commissioned officers believed it they
were strung along by the illusion that
even one more Victory would benefit
benefit Japan’s position in the peace
negotiations they acted to save face and
concealed their true objective with the
guise of strategy more abhorent was
sending young men to needless deaths in
kamikazi suicide operations all in the
name of Eternal
Justice nevertheless of the more than
400 who sorted from the Philippines and
more than 1900 in okanawa 111 missions
were successful in the former and 133 in
the latter
almost the same number met with partial
success the suicide Pilots were men of
whom Japan should be proud enduring
mental anguish and distress that falls
beyond our powers of imagination they
were able to see their missions through
to their fatal conclusion their Feats
should not be equated with the insanity
and Corruption of Japan’s War leaders
the strength of will these young men
embodied seems to be lacking in the
Youth of today as it could only have
emanated from the desolation of War such
a demonstration of willpower should
offer Japanese a sense of hope by the
day Japan surrendered about 2.3 million
soldiers from the Imperial Japanese Navy
and army were killed in action or had
died of disease and starvation in
addition approximately 800,000 citizens
perished in the merciless bombing of
Japanese cities in total it is estimated
that 3.1 million Japanese died in the
War returned to Japan from zeros to
nothing we heard all manner of news
after returning to TA Chung following
the cancellation of the last sorty there
wasn’t much of a mood for resistance
even though we knew of some di hards who
stubbornly opposed surrender we heard
that Chinese troops under Chiang Kai
Sheek were coming to occupy taong the
remaining zeros were to be handed over
to the Chinese Army their soldiers wore
what looked like laborers clothes with
bamboo hats
They Carried long poles on their
shoulders from which wicker baskets were
slung to transport personal effects we
were quite taken aback by their casual
appearance the Commander in charge of
Japanese disarmament was a leftenant
general in the Chinese Army a graduate
of Japan’s army war College we repaired
the damaged planes and surrendered them
as ordered upon taking possession of the
remaining Japanese aircraft they asked
us ever so politely how to fly the
machine
we taught them basic techniques for
taking off and Landing the Chinese
soldiers were strangely courteous even
referring to us as honorable teachers
the Allure of Taiwan after surrendering
all the zeros we were directed to a
village in the east of Tai Chung it was
located at about 500 m above sea level
and close to the entrance of a mountain
range that extended the length of Taiwan
The Village itself was about 2 km long
from east to west and and several
hundred meters wide there were rice
fields of Plenty making for lush green
scenery The Village mayor built three
straw thatched houses for us each was
about 3 to 4 M wide and 12 to 14 m in
length we settled into the huts and
began farming chores under the villagers
guidance they were very kind and came
every day to teach us how to use and
repair the tools it was a completely
different world to what we had
experienced in the kamikazi core
as the days went by the dreaded feeling
of imminent death started to dissipate
we worked the fields in bare feet and it
almost felt as if we had been
transported back to our Childhood Days
our main tasks involved cropping sugar
cane and cultivating vegetables it was
the middle of September and stiflingly
hot we were always caked in mud and
sweat and our faces were tanned dark
brown by November the vegetables were
ready for Harvest even though Taiwan was
much smaller than Japan the climate was
always warm which meant crops would
reach maturity faster and could be
reaped a few times each year not as much
land was needed to sustain the
population compared to Japan it has very
high mountains where even apples could
be grown every kind of fruit found in
Japan could be cultivated there Taiwan
truly was a wonderful place to live in
the evenings villagers came by our Huts
to chat with us the adults and children
all spoke Japanese to varying degrees on
rainy days a former student drae who
specialized in Chinese at College in
Japan taught us the rudiments of the
language our interaction with the
villages was going so well we began to
think about a future there we discussed
amongst ourselves our fears of being
arrested or even executed by the
Americans if we return to Japan we were
anxious about what the future had in
store for us the village mayor suggested
that we stay put he even offered us land
and promised to find us wives he was
rather plump man and could speak a
little Japanese we can harvest rice
twice and vegetables four times a year
you don’t even need to work here life’s
easy if you go back to Japan you’ll not
be treated well so stay with
us he was unbridled in his enthusiasm to
keep us in the
village I guess he thought that if we
married local girls it would bring
Vitality to the Village and changed the
mood there we had no inkling of what was
happening back in Japan and discussed
his offer almost every night in the end
15 or 16 of our group decided to accept
I was one of them and was quite happy to
spend the rest of my days there in the
middle of December however American
troops came to the village with an
ultimatum to repatriate to Japan the
mayor was quite disappointed and we felt
bad for him the return to kagoshima by
boat in late December 1945 we were moved
to keyong port to board a Japan bound
ship we bid the good villagers farewell
having cherished the pleasant experience
living among them preparation for return
was a hasty Affair and before we knew it
we were waiting at the key in keyong
among rows of
warehouses there were 40 of us gathered
there most were zero Pilots with a few
maintenance crewmen for some reason I
remember melted sugar falling into Sea
from one of the warehouses
we were subjected to body searches and
handguns and other items deemed
unsuitable were
confiscated I managed to hide the short
sword awarded to me by the
commanderin-chief of the combined Fleet
we boarded a US Navy coastal defense
ship and informed we were Bound for
kagoshima we were told in advance that
we’d be boarding a Japanese ship so this
Sudden Change made us nervous I was
afraid that we’d be taken to America
instead of Japan and and someone even
suggested that we’d be executed and our
bodies chucked into the Pacific most of
us were having second thoughts about
boarding but reluctantly we did it soon
became dark and the sea was rough the
further out to sea we went the blusterer
it
became the vessel itself was not big at
around thousand tons so it rolled
violently in the storm some of the Waves
were twice the height of the ship and
they smashed us sideways into the ocean
we all got L seasick and vomited nonstop
we weren’t Keen to have anything to do
with the American crewman it was the
first time we ever had Direct contact
with our former enemies we hated them
they kept their distance from us as well
probably thinking that we were unstable
Maniacs the whole idea of kamikazi
suicide attacks was such an absurd
concept to them they must have reckoned
us to be a bunch of insane freaks who
despised
life the ocean became beautifully calm
after the second or third day when I was
looking out to see from the deck I could
make out the shape of a cone-shaped
mountain on the horizon it had to be
Mount kimon I saw it almost every day
when I was a yoker and Cadet at kasan
noara Airbase in kagoshima the others
also saw it and all let out Hoots of
delight Japan it’s really Japan the city
of kagoshima had been burnt to the
ground in Relentless Air Raids we
assembled in a classroom of some
elementary school left barely intact an
American officer told us that we were to
return to our hometowns immediately and
find jobs if you turn into Drifters and
don’t find work he admonished Youk be
locked
up I knew nothing about America’s new
role in Japan as I had no access to
newspapers or the radio but I thought he
was over the top considering the war had
ended they made us write down our final
destinations a Japanese official gave me
a train ticket and told me me to
disembark at Tokyo Station some of the
Japanese officials sported civvies and
others wore their old military uniforms
everything went smoothly in the end and
despite my annoyance with the American
officer I understood that we were being
treated with special
consideration we stayed a night in
kagoshima and then boarded the train for
Tokyo at 7:00 a.m. the next morning kaga
asan with whom I had sortied many times
got off at Hiroshima we were aware that
hiroshim had been obliterated by an
atomic bomb I stuck my head out the
window and looked at the charred ruins
of the city we had already passed
through burned cities and towns after
departing kagoshima but Hiroshima was
something else in the other towns I saw
half-burned buildings and a few houses
Still Standing but Hiroshima was flat
for as far as the eye could see it was
the most Dreadful site I asked kaga
wasan if he had any place to go to he
replied I don’t know I’ll have to go and
see what I can find I was worried about
him all I could say was well be seeing
you
someday Hiroshima impressed upon me that
the war really was over leaving
Hiroshima behind us we started talking
about how we were supposed to pick up
from here somebody mentioned that we’d
have to make our own way from now we
were all still young and had always been
part of a close-knit group but now we
were going to be alone for the first
time in our lives a strangely worried
being prospect my priority was to get
home and find a job lest I be intered by
the Americans for being a Drifter
everybody felt the same but the chances
of finding gainful employment in the
confines of our hometowns were surely
going to be
slim born the Second Son taking over the
family farm was out of the question for
me I just couldn’t see what I could
possibly do Kazo tunod was on the same
train to Tokyo he was eight years my
senior and an excellent pilot he married
when the war ended but was forbidden
from taking employment in public office
due to the General headquarters Purge he
fell on hard times for quite a while
after the war as many of us
did New Year’s Eve homecoming the train
arrived at Tokyo Station at 7 or 8 on
New Year’s Eve
1945 I transferred lines and got off at
Nishi Tarawa station the very place I
received my grand send off to the yaren
2 years and 8 months before I dropped in
to see a close friend who lived near the
station he and his family were sitting
around a kotatsu chitchatting when I
entered hey he looked at me in utter
disbelief you’re alive they served me a
cup of tea but I excused myself because
my clothes were teeming with lice I
didn’t want to infest the tatami they
warned me that an occupation Soldier
might arrest me given my appearance and
lent me a bicycle to get get home they
were referring to my flying uniform I
jumped on the bike and pedal as fast as
I could down the dark roads with no lamp
to light the way I saw car headlights
coming from the opposite direction so
immediately leapt off my bike and hid an
American Jeep passed by without noticing
me I was lucky it might have been
Troublesome had they seen me it was a
little after 10: p.m. when I arrived
home hi I’m back I announced in a loud
voice relatives happened to be visiting
they were stunned and rushed to me it’s
Kazan I stopped short of entering the
room because of my foul smelling Lous
ridden clothes my mother couldn’t stop
staring at me she was lost for words and
then tears began to fall from her
eyes the last contact I had with my
family was 10 months ago I sent a
postcard home when I returned to Japan
to pick up the new zeros my family had
no idea what fate had befallen me after
that or whether I was even alive I
turned 19 that month 2 years and 8
months have passed since I left to enter
the yaran it all seemed surreal mother
asked me why I wouldn’t come inside I am
covered in lice and haven’t bathed for
ages although it was very cold I
stripped naked in the garden and then
went inside to take a bath soaking in
the tub I talked for a long time with
mother who was busy stacking firewood
next to the stove I don’t remember what
we talked about but I avoided the
subject of the war entirely mother
boiled my clothes the next day to kill
the lyser I sat near the warm sunken
Hearth after my bath I finally felt at
home I took out the short sword I
received from the fleet commander and
threw it on the fire thinking I don’t
need you
anymore 2 Days Later a local policeman
visited to our house you’ve brought back
something dangerous from the war have
you not oh yes yes here it is I replied
and handed him a burned clump of
Steel the postwar blues I slept for most
of New Years Day in the afternoon I
could hear voices coming from outside
people heard that I had returned and
were coming to see for themselves a
relative who lived next door a former
professor at tenry University came and
said in genuine disbelief Kazan you
really came back as I lay in my futon I
figured that the best plan of action was
to wait until things had settled down
before looking for a job although we
were told by the Americans to find work
forth with Japanese Society was in such
a discombobulated state that it was not
really an option before long my old
classmates dropped in to see me as well
I asked them what they were doing most
had been employed in some capacity in
the arms industry but the companies had
closed shop and they were left jobless I
had no idea what I wanted to do for a
start I was oblivious to how much Japan
had changed while I was away fighting at
least I had some savings to fall back on
as there was nowhere to spend my pay at
the front money was not an issue for the
time being so I squandered my days doing
pretty much nothing at all most of my
friends were unemployed barely managing
to eek out a living by selling household
items helping neighbors with chores and
the like some of them were making money
under the table by acquiring and selling
Goods on the Black Market they would
deal in pilford Factory or military
equipment and some stolen crops to sell
these were destitute times and Japan was
verging on the state of
collapse I began to resent this state of
affairs I was prepared to forgo my life
for the good of the country and was
disenchanted to see how truly
crestfallen Japan was the more I thought
about the sacrifices kamikazi Pilots had
made the more sensed I became my
brothers died to protect their families
and the nation but their Gallant
martyrdom had been forgotten as people
busied themselves trying to get their
hands on a bit of food here and some
extra cash there defeat and utter
despair I was no exception frittering my
days away I started to think that
subsisting like a bum was okay as long
as I didn’t bother others it was hard to
be upbeat but deep down I knew that this
attitude was wrong I needed to get back
on my feet and appease The Souls of My
Dead Brother other s they didn’t make
the ultimate sacrifice so that Japan
could turn to I certainly didn’t go
around advertising this belief but knew
that I had to find a way to inject some
positivity in people around me anything
would do to this end I decided to revive
the kagura performance at the local
Shrine cheering up the community The
katano
tenin Shrine in our village had a
spacious yard it was where my
purification ceremony was conducted
before head heading to the
yaren at the Annual Festival held on
March 21st it was once customary to
erect a stage in the yard for kagura
performances or for small circus groups
to entertain the
villagers these festivities had long
been suspended due to the war I reckoned
The Village youth could get involved and
coordinate the first kagura event in
years most villages in Japan had young
men’s associations and I was sure it
would cheer everybody up if we went
ahead with the project
I consulted one of my friends arahata
who had been a junior pilot in the Army
he willingly agreed to help and we set
the wheels in
motion first we had to persuade the
president of the young men’s association
he was about 3 years older than me we
went to his house late January in
1946 I asked him for some ideas to bring
some Joy to the community he admitted
that he had none so I told him of our
plan he was not particularly Keen
however citing how everybody was too
busy trying to get food to survive and
it was not the right time to call on the
other members even if I put the word out
I doubt if many will come the anger
welling up inside me was too much to
bear I exploded when I heard this Cop
Out president do you have any idea what
the hell you are saying as young
soldiers we didn’t fight tooth and nail
to defend such a sad bunch of sour
it’s the time for the young
men’s association to get off its ass and
stand up
now hearing my impassioned plea his
mother and other family members seemed a
little uneasy as they peered through the
sliding door the president quickly
changed his tune and
apologized I suggested he didn’t need to
shoulder the burden wek take the stand
for you we already devoted Our Lives to
a bigger cause once he consented and we
put our plan into action as a young
men’s association undertaking next we
had to convince the shrine’s priest he
was also a history teacher at the
elementary school I once attended we
survived the war as you can see and we
have an idea to help the community we’d
like to bring the kagura performance
back for the upcoming Festival who’s
going to do it he asked we want to do it
as a project of the young men’s
association wek need to learn the moves
and the instruments though he was very
receptive excellent idea boys please be
my guest we needed a place to practice
my relative the former professor of
tenry University had a large room on the
second floor of a warehouse he was happy
to let us use it apart from the dance
itself we also had to study the
traditional music called ohashi that
accompanied kagura
performances there was an old couple
revered as masters of kagura living in a
small Hamlet about a kilometer away we
knew how they lamented the demise of
kagura and the fact that there was no
Young blood to continue the tradition
after they were
gone arahata and I paid them a visit
they were in their 70s and were
delighted with our undertaking with all
the necessary patrons now on board we
composed a written appeal to members of
the young men’s association a little
over 20 fellows from the village agreed
to join us and practice began in Earnest
coming by foot along the dark road every
night after work the old couple taught
us ohashi and dancing at first it was
difficult deciding who would perform the
oyama role in which a man plays a woman
you do the oyama are you kidding in the
end we brought it all together and
performed with singleness of Mind a good
crowd gathered on March 21st despite the
depressed mood that permeated the
village following years of hardship even
those who had married and moved to other
parts of the country came back for the
festival the old couple was pleased and
the priest showered us with praise it
was a raging
success recruited by the Metropolitan
Police a man from the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police Department came to the Village
one or two weeks after the festival his
purpose was to recruit me public order
in Tokyo had deteriorated considerably
with many rampaging foreigners Koreans
attacking public offices or robbing
supplies thin newspapers were obtainable
back then but much of the content
covered the latest news about foreigners
causing havoc in places like shinbashi
and Shibuya in central
Tokyo during the war Koreans were badly
treated and this escalation of violence
was a reaction to years of
Oppression I was told by my wouldbe
recruiter that the police were currently
powerless to Control the Chaos he
informed me of the drive to bolster
police numbers and he wanted me to
consider joining the police desperately
needed recruits to bring some order to
Tokyo he explained what police work
entailed including the rot work system
in which policemen were given time to
practice Kendo or Judo in their off-duty
hours he added that every police station
was equipped with a Kendo Dojo only in
the army or the police could Kendo be
practiced during work hours of course
the Army was not an option anymore but
the thought of continuing Kendo in the
police was greatly appealing to me if I
can practice Kendo in the police then
sign me
up I was still 19 but the entry age
requirement turning was 20 I would turn
20 in December so took the exam in
November and joined the Metropolitan
Police Academy in February
1947 police departments were prefectural
bodies as I lived in saitama not Tokyo
it seemed odd that a Tokyo Metropolitan
Police recruiter would come out to see
me I assumed that the occupation forces
kept tabs on where the former kamikazi
Pilots were and furnished the police
with that information
otherwise how would they have any idea
where I lived from the occupation
forces’s perspective fanatical kamikazi
Pilots were still more of a threat than
the burgeoning extreme left and must
have thought we were better engaged in
maintaining public order than left to
our own devices and going where the wind
blew us