Monuments dedicated to kamikaze and other special attack corps can be
found throughout Japan, but the majority are located on Japan's southernmost
main island of Kyushu, where kamikaze pilots departed for attacks on Allied
ships near Okinawa.
Kagoshima
Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture in Kyushu and the nearest to
Okinawa, had several sortie bases
for kamikaze pilots. These wartime air bases, such as Kanoya and Chiran,
have several monuments to remember the young men who gave up their
lives.
The year given below is the original year that a monument was erected.
Some monuments have been renovated or repaired. Also, some main monuments
have other related monuments near them that were erected in later years.
The Army and Navy monuments have been classified based on the former air
base where they are located. Some monuments are not included below since
they memorialize both Army and Navy war dead, such as the Kamikaze
Pilot Statue at Yasukuni Jinja.
The selection of best monuments is based on the following factors: (1) clear explanation
of monument's purpose and related history, (2) scenic beauty, and (3) upkeep
of monument and nearby area.
