Noshiro Hachiman Jinja Special Attack Corps Monument
Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture
The Noshiro Hachiman Jinja Special Attack
Corps Monument honors men from Noshiro City in Akita Prefecture who died during World War II in special (suicide) attacks
and men associated with Shinonome Airfield in Noshiro who died in performance of their duties. The erection of the Special Attack Corps Monument in October 2008 was coordinated by the Tokkōtai Commemoration Peace
Memorial Association.
The monument has a plaque to the right with the
following inscription:
In this prefecture the unique Shinonomehara Noshiro Airfield trained many
pilots as a branch school for certain flight schools. However, the war
situation in the last half of the Greater East Asia War became more and more
severe. As a result of rigorous training, many deaths came about during the
performance of duties and when men made sorties and died in battle. We
humbly record the names of the spirits of these war dead.
[List of 28 men including 6 men (2 Army and 4 Navy) who died in special
attacks]
At the 14th annual memorial ceremony for Shinonome Airfield, we erect the
"Special Attack Hero Statue and Monument." We forever mourn for the spirits
of these officers and men who fell as jewels for the homeland.
October 2008
Shinonome Airfield Remembrance Association
There is another Special Attack Hero Statue in the Tōhoku Area at
Miyagi Gokoku Jinja, but this monument like
others throughout the country only honors men who died in special attacks.
The Noshiro Hachiman Jinja Special Attack
Corps Monument is not typical since it also honors 22 men from Shinonome
Airfield who died in a manner other than a special attack such as a training
accident. No details are
provided at the monument site regarding these deaths.
The monument lists the following men from Noshiro City who died in special
attacks. The special attack squadron of each man comes from an article in the
Tokkōtai Commemoration Peace
Memorial Association's quarterly journal Tokkō [1].
- Army Lieutenant Colonel Toshio Watanabe (Giretsu Airborne Squadron)
- Army Second Lieutenant Sa'ichi Yoneyama (27th Sea Assault Squadron)
- Navy Lieutenant Commander Tsuneo Takahashi (1st Hachiman Goō Squadron)
- Navy Ensign Ushio Kudō (5th Ginga Squadron)
- Navy Ensign Kōzō Shida (2nd Mitate Squadron)
- Navy Warrant Officer Kinsaku Matsueda (9th Jinrai Squadron)
The two kanji (Chinese characters) on the monument base are the word
ryūkon (everlasting spirit). The smaller plaque to the right of the front
face of the pedestal says "Ā tokkō" (Ah, Special Attacks). The plaque on
front also has in small characters the following statement: "We certainly will
never forget you."
Note
1. Sugawara 2009, 50-1. Source Cited
Sugawara, Michihiro. 2009. "Noshiro Hachiman Jinja 'tokkō
yūshi no zō' jomakushiki" (Noshiro Hachiman Jinja "special attack hero
statue" unveiling). Tokkō (Special Attacks) 78 (February): 50-1.
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