Fukui Special Attack Corps Monument
Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
The Tokkōtai Commemoration Peace Memorial Association and the Association to
Pass On the Japanese Spirit (Nihonjin no kokoro o tsutaeru kai) have worked
together since 2006 to support erection of monuments to honor the young men who died
while carrying out special
(suicide) attacks during WWII. The monuments each have the same bronze figure of the
front half of a kamikaze pilot standing on a stone pedestal.
The large characters on the plaque on front of the pedestal say "Ā tokkō"
(Ah, Special Attacks). This is also the title of a CD of songs related to
special attacks. The
Association to Pass On the Japanese Spirit coordinated the creation of this CD and released
it for sale in early 2006.
The profits from CD sales have been used to support erection of
monuments to honor those members of the Special Attack Corps who died in battle. The plaque on front also has in
small characters the following statement: "We certainly will never forget you."
In 2007, replicas of the figure of a standing
kamikaze pilot were erected at the following shrines throughout Japan:
Fukui Gokoku Jinja, Kagoshima Gokoku Jinja, and Setagaya Kannon Temple
in Tōkyō Prefecture. Others have been erected at Ehime Gokoku Jinja in 2008 and
Ōsaka Gokoku Jinja in 2009, and
the Tokkōtai Commemoration Peace Memorial Association and the Association to
Pass On the Japanese Spirit continue to work to erect additional monuments. Prefectures in Japan generally have a prefectural
gokoku jinja, which is a
Shintō shrine dedicated to those persons from that prefecture who died to defend
the country. Each gokoku jinja has a variety of monuments to remember those who died in
wars.
In contrast to the monuments at Kagoshima Gokoku Jinja and Setagaya Kannon
Temple with no explanation other than the front plaque, the Fukui Special Attack
Corps Monument at the Fukui Gokoku Jinja has additional words to explain its historical significance. Engraved on the right-hand side of the monument's base are the following
words:
At the end of 1944 while the Greater East Asia War situation was worsening
steadily, many young men volunteered for the Special Attack Corps in order to
protect their country, parents, brothers and sisters, wives and girlfriends, and
dear children.
As they hoped that beautiful Japan would continue forever, they pledged to
meet together under the cherry trees of Yasukuni Shrine. Over 60 brave men met
their deaths in battle in southern skies and seas. We will never forget that
today's peace and prosperity were built on the blood and tears of men in the
Special Attack Corps, who fought giving their lives, and of their bereaved
families.
Here we erect a monument to the over 60 brave men from Fukui Prefecture in
the Special Attack Corps. We praise their great accomplishments and
distinguished service, and we pass on their spirit to posterity.
April 2007
Although the monument displays a kamikaze pilot, the phrase "southern skies
and seas" means that the monument also honors those who died in special attacks
carried out with weapons other than aircraft such as explosive motorboats and
kaiten manned torpedoes.
Close-up of kamikaze pilot on
Fukui Special Attack Corps Monument
The following last letters and diary entries were written by Special Attack Corps members from
Fukui Prefecture who died in special attacks:
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