Stories
Stories
A-K
A-K
Amakusa Two-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane Squadron
Amakusa Two-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane Squadron
Among the Remnants of the Suicide Subs
Among the Remnants of the Suicide Subs
Assorted Thoughts During War
Assorted Thoughts During War
Continued Commitment: Main Force for Mainland Decisive Battle
Continued Commitment: Main Force for Mainland Decisive Battle
Crash Attack With New Wife On Board
Crash Attack With New Wife On Board
Drop Training: Hard-to-use Spear, Observed Reality
Drop Training: Hard-to-use Spear, Observed Reality
First Battle Results: Change in Tactics, Only Sinking
First Battle Results: Change in Tactics, Only Sinking
For Five Seconds, A Gunner
For Five Seconds, A Gunner
Kamikaze Pilots Visit Ritsu Tsurumaru’s Home
Kamikaze Pilots Visit Ritsu Tsurumaru’s Home
Kamikaze, the Ultimate Sacrifice
Kamikaze, the Ultimate Sacrifice
L-N
L-N
Lack of Experience: Hard 600-km Flight over the Sea
Lack of Experience: Hard 600-km Flight over the Sea
Last Writings: Hero, Dying in Vain, Reality That Cannot Be Expressed by Dualism
Last Writings: Hero, Dying in Vain, Reality That Cannot Be Expressed by Dualism
LCS 118: A Radar Picket Patrol
LCS 118: A Radar Picket Patrol
Magnificent Comrades of Tsukuba Unit
Magnificent Comrades of Tsukuba Unit
Man Killed In Action Who Returned
Man Killed In Action Who Returned
May 28, 1945—Another Day of Infamy
May 28, 1945—Another Day of Infamy
Mighty Midgets 2007 Reunion
Mighty Midgets 2007 Reunion
My Personal History: Two Lives
My Personal History: Two Lives
O-R
O-R
Observer Training Aircraft: Mobilization of Plane Not Fit for Battle
Observer Training Aircraft: Mobilization of Plane Not Fit for Battle
Perilous Full Moon: I Survived Due to Old Airframe
Perilous Full Moon: I Survived Due to Old Airframe
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 1): Squadron Members With No Wish to Volunteer
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 1): Squadron Members With No Wish to Volunteer
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 2): Sudden Cancellation, Not Even Any Record
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 2): Sudden Cancellation, Not Even Any Record
Phantom Kenmu Squadron: Cancelled Just Before Takeoff
Phantom Kenmu Squadron: Cancelled Just Before Takeoff
Preparing to Sortie and Waiting for Orders Every Day for Two Weeks
Preparing to Sortie and Waiting for Orders Every Day for Two Weeks
Remembering Times Past from 34 Years Ago
Remembering Times Past from 34 Years Ago
Rescued Kamikaze Pilot Also Callaghan Survivor
Rescued Kamikaze Pilot Also Callaghan Survivor
Resentment: Tradition of Commanding Officer’s Taking Lead Disappeared
Resentment: Tradition of Commanding Officer’s Taking Lead Disappeared
S-Z
S-Z
Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron
Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron
Sinking of USS Drexler DD-741
Sinking of USS Drexler DD-741
Sorties Cancelled Twice: Enjoyment of Long Life Due To Small Difference
Sorties Cancelled Twice: Enjoyment of Long Life Due To Small Difference
Special Attack Corps Waiting Room at Tomitaka Base
Special Attack Corps Waiting Room at Tomitaka Base
Special Mission: Symbolic of "Irresponsibility" in Upper Ranks
Special Mission: Symbolic of "Irresponsibility" in Upper Ranks
Spiritual Foundation of Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Members
Spiritual Foundation of Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Members
Survival of Drexler Survivors Reunion Association
Survival of Drexler Survivors Reunion Association
Two Days Before War’s End, Jinrai Butai’s Last Sortie
Two Days Before War’s End, Jinrai Butai’s Last Sortie
2007 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
2007 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
2007 USS Morrison (DD-560) Reunion
2007 USS Morrison (DD-560) Reunion
2010 USS Drexler (DD-741) Reunion
2010 USS Drexler (DD-741) Reunion
2012 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
2012 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
Who Sank the Destroyer Drexler?
Who Sank the Destroyer Drexler?
Without Telegraph: No Way to Communicate Battle Results
Without Telegraph: No Way to Communicate Battle Results
Books
Books
Personal Narratives
Personal Narratives
Imamura, Shig: The True Story of an American Kamikaze
Imamura, Shig: The True Story of an American Kamikaze
Inoguchi and Nakajima, The Divine Wind
Inoguchi and Nakajima, The Divine Wind
Nagatsuka, I Was a Kamikaze
Nagatsuka, I Was a Kamikaze
Sakamaki, I Attacked Pearl Harbor
Sakamaki, I Attacked Pearl Harbor
Yokota and Harrington, Kamikaze Submarine
Yokota and Harrington, Kamikaze Submarine
Yoshida, Requiem for Battleship Yamato
Yoshida, Requiem for Battleship Yamato
General (A-H)
General (A-H)
Aeronautical Staff of Aero Publishers, Kamikaze
Aeronautical Staff of Aero Publishers, Kamikaze
Axell and Kase, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Gods
Axell and Kase, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Gods
Burlingame, Advance Force Pearl Harbor
Burlingame, Advance Force Pearl Harbor
Carruthers, Australia Under Siege
Carruthers, Australia Under Siege
Cea, Tokubetsu Kogeki Tai. Special Attack Units
Cea, Tokubetsu Kogeki Tai. Special Attack Units
Charles River Editors, The Kamikazes
Charles River Editors, The Kamikazes
Cortesi, Valor at Okinawa
Cortesi, Valor at Okinawa
Delgado et al., The Lost Submarines of Pearl Harbor
Delgado et al., The Lost Submarines of Pearl Harbor
Grose, A Very Rude Awakening
Grose, A Very Rude Awakening
Hagoromo Society, The Cherry Blossom Squadrons
Hagoromo Society, The Cherry Blossom Squadrons
General (I-R)
General (I-R)
Ishiguro and Januszewski, Japanese Special Attack Aircraft
Ishiguro and Januszewski, Japanese Special Attack Aircraft
Jenkins, Hitting Home: The Japanese Attack on Sydney 1942
Jenkins, Hitting Home: The Japanese Attack on Sydney 1942
Lambert, Bombs, Torpedoes and Kamikazes
Lambert, Bombs, Torpedoes and Kamikazes
Lamont-Brown, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Samurai
Lamont-Brown, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Samurai
Lardas, The Kamikaze Campaign 1944-45
Lardas, The Kamikaze Campaign 1944-45
Lind, Toku-tai: Japanese Submarine Operations in Australian Waters
Lind, Toku-tai: Japanese Submarine Operations in Australian Waters
Morris, Battleship Yamato
Morris, Battleship Yamato
Mortensen, Divine Wind: Kamikaze Attacks Against the US Navy
Mortensen, Divine Wind: Kamikaze Attacks Against the US Navy
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms
Rielly, Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships
Rielly, Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships
General (S-Z)
General (S-Z)
Sears, At War with the Wind
Sears, At War with the Wind
Sholin, The Kamikaze Nightmare
Sholin, The Kamikaze Nightmare
Sholin, The Sacrificial Lambs
Sholin, The Sacrificial Lambs
Sholin, Truman’s Decision
Sholin, Truman’s Decision
Smith, Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Smith, Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Spurr, A Glorious Way to Die
Spurr, A Glorious Way to Die
Stewart, Kamikaze: Japan’s Last Bid for Victory
Stewart, Kamikaze: Japan’s Last Bid for Victory
Stille, US Navy Ships vs Kamikazes 1944-45
Stille, US Navy Ships vs Kamikazes 1944-45
Takaki and Sakaida, B-29 Hunters of the JAAF
Takaki and Sakaida, B-29 Hunters of the JAAF
Thurman, Picket Ships at Okinawa
Thurman, Picket Ships at Okinawa
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Terror
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Terror
Warner and Seno, The Coffin Boats
Warner and Seno, The Coffin Boats
Warner and Warner, The Sacred Warriors
Warner and Warner, The Sacred Warriors
Zaloga, Kamikaze: Japanese Special Attack Weapons 1944-45
Zaloga, Kamikaze: Japanese Special Attack Weapons 1944-45
Zimmerman, Battleship Yamato: Why She Matters Today
Zimmerman, Battleship Yamato: Why She Matters Today
Ship Histories (A-C)
Ship Histories (A-C)
Acord and Holbrook, Hell and High Water in the Pacific
Acord and Holbrook, Hell and High Water in the Pacific
Andersen, Three Minutes Off Okinawa
Andersen, Three Minutes Off Okinawa
Ball, Fighting Amphibs: The LCS(L) in World War II
Ball, Fighting Amphibs: The LCS(L) in World War II
Becton, The Ship That Would Not Die
Becton, The Ship That Would Not Die
Billingsley, The Emmons Saga
Billingsley, The Emmons Saga
Blanton, Boston——to Jacksonville (41,000 Miles by Sea)
Blanton, Boston——to Jacksonville (41,000 Miles by Sea)
Bonner and Bonner, USS Missouri at War
Bonner and Bonner, USS Missouri at War
Brown and Anteau, Historical Review: U.S.S. Drexler DD-741
Brown and Anteau, Historical Review: U.S.S. Drexler DD-741
Bustin, Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII
Bustin, Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII
Calhoun, Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945
Calhoun, Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945
Charney, USS Ingraham DD694: 1944-1945
Charney, USS Ingraham DD694: 1944-1945
Cline, Escort Carrier WWII
Cline, Escort Carrier WWII
Craig, USS Cassin Young: Fletcher Class Destroyer DD793
Craig, USS Cassin Young: Fletcher Class Destroyer DD793
Craighead, All Ahead Full
Craighead, All Ahead Full
Crew, Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate
Crew, Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate
Ship Histories (D-J)
Ship Histories (D-J)
Dennis, The Destroyer U.S.S. Flusser DD368: Her Life of Service
Dennis, The Destroyer U.S.S. Flusser DD368: Her Life of Service
Dennis, U.S.S. Frustrate: "The Luckiest Ship in the Navy"
Dennis, U.S.S. Frustrate: "The Luckiest Ship in the Navy"
Duffy, The Wonderful World of John Duffy: An Autobiography)
Duffy, The Wonderful World of John Duffy: An Autobiography)
Fillmore, War History of USS Leutze (DD-481)
Fillmore, War History of USS Leutze (DD-481)
Foster, The Last Destroyer: The Story of the USS Callaghan
Foster, The Last Destroyer: The Story of the USS Callaghan
Graves, Men of Poseidon: Life at Sea Aboard the USS Rall
Graves, Men of Poseidon: Life at Sea Aboard the USS Rall
Griggs, Preludes to Victory: The Battle of Ormoc Bay in WWII
Griggs, Preludes to Victory: The Battle of Ormoc Bay in WWII
Harmon, U.S.S. Cassin Young (DD-793)
Harmon, U.S.S. Cassin Young (DD-793)
Harper, Too Close for Comfort
Harper, Too Close for Comfort
Irons, Phalanx Against the Divine Wind
Irons, Phalanx Against the Divine Wind
Jones, Days of Steel Rain
Jones, Days of Steel Rain
Ship Histories (K-N)
Ship Histories (K-N)
Kalosky, Harm’s Way—Every Day
Kalosky, Harm’s Way—Every Day
LCS(L) Landing Craft Support (Large)
LCS(L) Landing Craft Support (Large)
Lott, Brave Ship Brave Men
Lott, Brave Ship Brave Men
Lott and Sumrall, USS Ward—The First Shot
Lott and Sumrall, USS Ward—The First Shot
MacKay, The U.S. Navy’s "Interim" LSR(R)s in World War II
MacKay, The U.S. Navy’s "Interim" LSR(R)s in World War II
Mair, Oil, Fire, and Fate
Mair, Oil, Fire, and Fate
Malott, "If We Save But One"
Malott, "If We Save But One"
McBride, ed., Good Night Officially
McBride, ed., Good Night Officially
Monsarrat, Angel on the Yardarm
Monsarrat, Angel on the Yardarm
Novotny, In the Wake of Jellybean
Novotny, In the Wake of Jellybean
Ship Histories (O-Sk)
Ship Histories (O-Sk)
Olson, Tales from a Tin Can
Olson, Tales from a Tin Can
Payne, H.M.A.S. Australia 1928-1955
Payne, H.M.A.S. Australia 1928-1955
Rielly, Mighty Midgets At War
Rielly, Mighty Midgets At War
Ronck, Battleship Missouri
Ronck, Battleship Missouri
Rooney, Mighty Midget U.S.S. LCS 82
Rooney, Mighty Midget U.S.S. LCS 82
Samuels, War Patrol of the PCE(R)852
Samuels, War Patrol of the PCE(R)852
Simmons, USS Tennessee in World War II
Simmons, USS Tennessee in World War II
Skeldon, USS Kadashan Bay VC-20
Skeldon, USS Kadashan Bay VC-20
Ship Histories (Sl-Z)
Ship Histories (Sl-Z)
Stafford, Little Ship, Big War: The Saga of DE343
Stafford, Little Ship, Big War: The Saga of DE343
Stafford, The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise
Stafford, The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise
Stillwell, Battleship Missouri: An Illustrated History
Stillwell, Battleship Missouri: An Illustrated History
Stone, "My Ship!" The U.S.S. Intrepid
Stone, "My Ship!" The U.S.S. Intrepid
Streb, Life and Death Aboard the U.S.S. Essex
Streb, Life and Death Aboard the U.S.S. Essex
Sumrall, USS Kidd (DD-661)
Sumrall, USS Kidd (DD-661)
Surels, DD 522: Diary of a Destroyer
Surels, DD 522: Diary of a Destroyer
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Destroyer
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Destroyer
White and Gandt, Intrepid
White and Gandt, Intrepid
Wolfe, Wole, and O’Hara, History of the USS Kidd (DD661)
Wolfe, Wole, and O’Hara, History of the USS Kidd (DD661)
Wukovits, Hell from the Heavens
Wukovits, Hell from the Heavens
Y’Blood, The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan
Y’Blood, The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan
Fiction (A-L)
Fiction (A-L)
Deutermann, Sentinels of Fire
Deutermann, Sentinels of Fire
Fowler, The Astrological Diary of God
Fowler, The Astrological Diary of God
Freedman, The Seventh Stone
Freedman, The Seventh Stone
Grant, Attack from the sun
Grant, Attack from the sun
Grant, Night Flying Avenger
Grant, Night Flying Avenger
Kaga, Riding the East Wind
Kaga, Riding the East Wind
Kuwahara and Allred, Kamikaze
Kuwahara and Allred, Kamikaze
Fiction (M-Z)
Fiction (M-Z)
Mannock, The Sen-Toku Raid
Mannock, The Sen-Toku Raid
Meade, The Dignity of Danger
Meade, The Dignity of Danger
Morris, The Last Kamikaze
Morris, The Last Kamikaze
Nicole, The Ship with No Name
Nicole, The Ship with No Name
O’Keefe, A Thousand Stitches
O’Keefe, A Thousand Stitches
Park, When My Name Was Keoko
Park, When My Name Was Keoko
Sakamoto, One Hundred Million Hearts
Sakamoto, One Hundred Million Hearts
Somma, Midori and the 1000 Stitch Belt
Somma, Midori and the 1000 Stitch Belt
Wheatcroft, Answering Fire
Wheatcroft, Answering Fire
Writings
Writings
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies
Related Topics (A-M)
Related Topics (A-M)
Bawal, Jr., Titans of the Rising Sun
Bawal, Jr., Titans of the Rising Sun
Delgado, Kamikaze: History’s Greatest Naval Disaster
Delgado, Kamikaze: History’s Greatest Naval Disaster
Eadon, Kamikaze: The Story of the British Pacific Fleet
Eadon, Kamikaze: The Story of the British Pacific Fleet
Evans, The Japanese Navy in World War II
Evans, The Japanese Navy in World War II
Gandt, The Twilight Warriors
Gandt, The Twilight Warriors
Grossberg, Last Letter Home
Grossberg, Last Letter Home
Hara, Japanese Destroyer Captain
Hara, Japanese Destroyer Captain
Kemp, Underwater Warriors
Kemp, Underwater Warriors
King, The Last Zero Fighter
King, The Last Zero Fighter
Klinkowitz, Pacific Skies
Klinkowitz, Pacific Skies
Lubeski, Linebackers of the Sea
Lubeski, Linebackers of the Sea
Related Topics (N-Z)
Related Topics (N-Z)
Sakaida and Takaki, Genda’s Blade
Sakaida and Takaki, Genda’s Blade
Samples, Wings over Sakishima
Samples, Wings over Sakishima
Shibusawa, America’s Geisha Ally
Shibusawa, America’s Geisha Ally
Thompson, Why Do Kamikaze Pilots Wear Helmets?
Thompson, Why Do Kamikaze Pilots Wear Helmets?
Tsouras, Rising Sun Victorious
Tsouras, Rising Sun Victorious
Vernon, The Hostile Sky: A Hellcat Flier in World War II
Vernon, The Hostile Sky: A Hellcat Flier in World War II
Werstein, Okinawa: The Last Ordeal
Werstein, Okinawa: The Last Ordeal
Westheimer, Death is Lighter than a Feather
Westheimer, Death is Lighter than a Feather
Young, American Aces Against the Kamikaze
Young, American Aces Against the Kamikaze
Comics (A-J)
Comics (A-J)
Air War Stories - Kamikaze!
Air War Stories - Kamikaze!
Authentic War Stories - The Kamikaze
Authentic War Stories - The Kamikaze
Battle - Kamikaze! (July 1954)
Battle - Kamikaze! (July 1954)
Battle - Kamikaze! (April 1959)
Battle - Kamikaze! (April 1959)
Blackhawk - The Red Kamikaze Terror
Blackhawk - The Red Kamikaze Terror
Fightin’ Air Force - Kamikaze Pilot
Fightin’ Air Force - Kamikaze Pilot
Fightin’ Marines - Kamikaze
Fightin’ Marines - Kamikaze
Fightin’ Navy - Kamikaze Killer
Fightin’ Navy - Kamikaze Killer
Fubar 2: Empire of the Rising Dead
Fubar 2: Empire of the Rising Dead
Ghostly Tales - The Last Kamikaze!
Ghostly Tales - The Last Kamikaze!
Comics (K-Z)
Comics (K-Z)
Navy Task Force - Kamikaze!
Navy Task Force - Kamikaze!
Our Fighting Forces - Battle Album: Kamikaze
Our Fighting Forces - Battle Album: Kamikaze
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! - The Last Kamikaze
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! - The Last Kamikaze
A Sailor’s Story and A Sailor’s Story, Book Two
A Sailor’s Story and A Sailor’s Story, Book Two
Star Spangled War Stories - I Was a Kamikaze Pilot!
Star Spangled War Stories - I Was a Kamikaze Pilot!
True Comics - Name to Remember
True Comics - Name to Remember
USS Stevens: Ride the Baka
USS Stevens: Ride the Baka
Wings Comics (August 1946)
Wings Comics (August 1946)
Wings Comics - Kamikaze (Fall 1952)
Wings Comics - Kamikaze (Fall 1952)
Films
Films
Documentaries (A-G)
Documentaries (A-G)
Day of the Kamikaze: November 25, 1944
Day of the Kamikaze: November 25, 1944
The Fleet That Came to Stay
The Fleet That Came to Stay
Gladiators of World War II: The Kamikazes
Gladiators of World War II: The Kamikazes
Great Blunders of World War II
Great Blunders of World War II
Documentaries (H-K)
Documentaries (H-K)
Kamikaze: Death From the Sky
Kamikaze: Death From the Sky
Kamikaze: Mission of Death
Kamikaze: Mission of Death
Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Kamikaze / War in the Pacific
Kamikaze / War in the Pacific
Documentaries (L-Z)
Documentaries (L-Z)
No Surrender: Japanese and German Kamikazes
No Surrender: Japanese and German Kamikazes
S.O.S. Catastrophe: Typhoons and Kamikaze
S.O.S. Catastrophe: Typhoons and Kamikaze
War Stories wtih Oliver North: Attack of the Japanese Midget Subs!
War Stories wtih Oliver North: Attack of the Japanese Midget Subs!
The Cockpit: Kamikaze Stories
The Cockpit: Kamikaze Stories
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage
Japanese
Japanese
Aa tokubetsu kougekitai (Ah, Special Attack Corps)
Aa tokubetsu kougekitai (Ah, Special Attack Corps)
Deguchi no nai umi (Sea without exit)
Deguchi no nai umi (Sea without exit)
Gekkou no Natsu (Summer of the Moonlight Sonata)
Gekkou no Natsu (Summer of the Moonlight Sonata)
Hokui 15° no Dyuo (15 Degrees North Latitude Duo)
Hokui 15° no Dyuo (15 Degrees North Latitude Duo)
Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean
Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean
Matsuo Keiu to sono haha (Keiu Matsuo and his mother)
Matsuo Keiu to sono haha (Keiu Matsuo and his mother)
Nijūroku ya mairi (A Moon Twenty-six Days Old)
Nijūroku ya mairi (A Moon Twenty-six Days Old)
Ningen no Tsubasa (Wings of a Man)
Ningen no Tsubasa (Wings of a Man)
Taiheiyou no Tsubasa (Wings of the Pacific)
Taiheiyou no Tsubasa (Wings of the Pacific)
Museums
Museums
Bansei Tokkō Peace Museum
Bansei Tokkō Peace Museum
Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots
Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots
Etajima Museum of Naval History
Etajima Museum of Naval History
Hotaru Museum
Hotaru Museum
Cherry Blossoms of Same Class
Cherry Blossoms of Same Class
Kamikaze Special Attack Museum
Kamikaze Special Attack Museum
Kanoya Naval Air Base Museum
Kanoya Naval Air Base Museum
Tokushima Air Base Museum
Tokushima Air Base Museum
Tsukuba Naval Air Base Museum
Tsukuba Naval Air Base Museum
Yokaren Museum - Tsuchiura
Yokaren Museum - Tsuchiura
US Museums
US Museums
Battleship Missouri Memorial
Battleship Missouri Memorial
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
National Museum of the Pacific War
National Museum of the Pacific War
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
USS Cassin Young (DD-793)
USS Cassin Young (DD-793)
Monuments
Monuments
A-B
A-B
Aichi Gokoku Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Aichi Gokoku Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Akita Special Attack Corps Monument
Akita Special Attack Corps Monument
Amakusa Naval Air Group Monument
Amakusa Naval Air Group Monument
Arari Never Forget Monument
Arari Never Forget Monument
Army Command Reconnaissance Units Monument
Army Command Reconnaissance Units Monument
Army Special Cadet Pilots Monument
Army Special Cadet Pilots Monument
Bansei Special Attack Monument
Bansei Special Attack Monument
Battleship Yamato Memorial Tower
Battleship Yamato Memorial Tower
Battleship Yamato Monument (Kure)
Battleship Yamato Monument (Kure)
Battleship Yamato War Dead Monument
Battleship Yamato War Dead Monument
Bōnotsu Shin’yō Corps Monument
Bōnotsu Shin’yō Corps Monument
C-F
C-F
Chiba Special Attack Corps Monument
Chiba Special Attack Corps Monument
Chikugo Pilot Training School Monument
Chikugo Pilot Training School Monument
Chiran Special Attack Peace Kannon Shrine
Chiran Special Attack Peace Kannon Shrine
Chiran Triangular Barracks Site Monument
Chiran Triangular Barracks Site Monument
Donryu Jizo Great Bodhisattva
Donryu Jizo Great Bodhisattva
Ehime Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ehime Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ehime Pilot Training School War Monument
Ehime Pilot Training School War Monument
Ehime Special Attack Corps Monument
Ehime Special Attack Corps Monument
56th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Iwadate Unit Monument
56th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Iwadate Unit Monument
Flight Reserve Students 13th Class Monument
Flight Reserve Students 13th Class Monument
41st Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
41st Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
44th Shin’yō Squadron Accident Victims Monument
44th Shin’yō Squadron Accident Victims Monument
Fukui Special Attack Corps Monument
Fukui Special Attack Corps Monument
Fukuoka Special Attack Corps Monument
Fukuoka Special Attack Corps Monument
G-Ha
G-Ha
Genkai 118th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Genkai 118th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Giretsu Airborne Unit Monument
Giretsu Airborne Unit Monument
Gunma Special Attack Corps Monument
Gunma Special Attack Corps Monument
Hachijojima Shin’yō Monument
Hachijojima Shin’yō Monument
Hachimanyama Jinja Special Submarine Monument
Hachimanyama Jinja Special Submarine Monument
Hakata Naval Air Group Monument
Hakata Naval Air Group Monument
Hakkō Sekichō Squadron Monument
Hakkō Sekichō Squadron Monument
Haramachi Airfield Monument
Haramachi Airfield Monument
Hi-J
Hi-J
Hijirigaura Shin’yō Monument
Hijirigaura Shin’yō Monument
Himeji Naval Air Group Monument
Himeji Naval Air Group Monument
Hokota Army Flight School Monument
Hokota Army Flight School Monument
Hososhima Shin’yō Monument
Hososhima Shin’yō Monument
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Hyakuri Air Base)
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Hyakuri Air Base)
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Kushira)
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Kushira)
Ibusuki Naval Air Base Remembrance Monument
Ibusuki Naval Air Base Remembrance Monument
Isahaya Naval Air Base Monument
Isahaya Naval Air Base Monument
Iwakuni Yokaren 2nd Toku Otsu Class Monument
Iwakuni Yokaren 2nd Toku Otsu Class Monument
Iwate Army Airfield Monument
Iwate Army Airfield Monument
Iwo Jima 1st and 2nd Mitate Special Attack Squadrons Monument
Iwo Jima 1st and 2nd Mitate Special Attack Squadrons Monument
Izumi Special Attack Monument
Izumi Special Attack Monument
Kab-Kam
Kab-Kam
Kabira Bay Shin’yō Peace Monument
Kabira Bay Shin’yō Peace Monument
Kagawa Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagawa Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagoshima Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagoshima Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Sekishin Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Sekishin Monument
Kakogawa Airfield Site Monument
Kakogawa Airfield Site Monument
Kakogawa Special Attack Corps Monument
Kakogawa Special Attack Corps Monument
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Chiran)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Chiran)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Izumi Tokkō Jinja)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Izumi Tokkō Jinja)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Mabalacat)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Mabalacat)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Yasukuni Jinja Yūshūkan)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Yasukuni Jinja Yūshūkan)
Kamikaze Special Attack Corps 3rd Ryūko Squadron Monument
Kamikaze Special Attack Corps 3rd Ryūko Squadron Monument
Kan-Ki
Kan-Ki
Kanoya Special Attack Corps War Dead Memorial Tower
Kanoya Special Attack Corps War Dead Memorial Tower
Kashihara Shrine 13th Kō Class Navy Yokaren Monument
Kashihara Shrine 13th Kō Class Navy Yokaren Monument
Kashima Naval Air Group Monument
Kashima Naval Air Group Monument
Kashiwajima Special Attack Shin’yō Base Monument
Kashiwajima Special Attack Shin’yō Base Monument
Kataura Shin’yō Base Monument
Kataura Shin’yō Base Monument
Kawatana Special Attack War Monument
Kawatana Special Attack War Monument
Kikaijima Naval Air Group Monument
Kikaijima Naval Air Group Monument
Kikaijima Shin’yō Storage Tunnel
Kikaijima Shin’yō Storage Tunnel
Kitaura Naval Air Group Monument
Kitaura Naval Air Group Monument
Ko-Ky
Ko-Ky
Kōchi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kōchi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kōchi Naval Air Group Monument
Kōchi Naval Air Group Monument
Kofuji Naval Air Group Monument
Kofuji Naval Air Group Monument
Kohama Island Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Kohama Island Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Barrel Valley)
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Barrel Valley)
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Uwatoko Park)
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Uwatoko Park)
Kokubu Special Attack Base Monument
Kokubu Special Attack Base Monument
Koniya Naval Air Group Monument
Koniya Naval Air Group Monument
Kōyasan Naval Air Group Monument
Kōyasan Naval Air Group Monument
Kuroshima Battleship Yamato Monument
Kuroshima Battleship Yamato Monument
Kuroshima Special Attack Peace Kannon
Kuroshima Special Attack Peace Kannon
Kushira Naval Air Base War Dead Memorial Tower
Kushira Naval Air Base War Dead Memorial Tower
Kyōdomari Shin’yō Special Attack Base Monument
Kyōdomari Shin’yō Special Attack Base Monument
L-Me
L-Me
Mabalacat West Airfield Monument
Mabalacat West Airfield Monument
Makurazaki Battleship Yamato Monument
Makurazaki Battleship Yamato Monument
Matsuo Monument (Kikuchi Jinja)
Matsuo Monument (Kikuchi Jinja)
Matsuo Monument (Yamaga City)
Matsuo Monument (Yamaga City)
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Monument
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Monument
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Site Monument
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Site Monument
Metabaru Airfield Monument
Metabaru Airfield Monument
Mi-Mu
Mi-Mu
Miyagi Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyagi Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyakonojō East Airfield Monument
Miyakonojō East Airfield Monument
Miyakonojō Hayate Shinbu Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyakonojō Hayate Shinbu Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyakonojō Pilot Training School Monument
Miyakonojō Pilot Training School Monument
Miyakonojō West Airfield Monument
Miyakonojō West Airfield Monument
Miyara Bay Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Miyara Bay Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Miyazaki Special Attack Base Monument
Miyazaki Special Attack Base Monument
N
N
Nagamine Farewell Poem Monuments
Nagamine Farewell Poem Monuments
Nagano Special Attack Corps Monument
Nagano Special Attack Corps Monument
Nagasaki Pilot Training School Monument
Nagasaki Pilot Training School Monument
Nagasaki Prefecture Yokaren Monument
Nagasaki Prefecture Yokaren Monument
Nagoya Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Kusanagi Unit Monument
Nagoya Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Kusanagi Unit Monument
Nangō Human Torpedo Kaiten Training Site Monument
Nangō Human Torpedo Kaiten Training Site Monument
Naramoto Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Naramoto Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Navy Flight Reserve Students Monument
Navy Flight Reserve Students Monument
Niigata Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Niigata Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
19th Hikō Sentai Special Attack Monument
19th Hikō Sentai Special Attack Monument
Noshiro Hachiman Jinja Special Attack Corps Monument
Noshiro Hachiman Jinja Special Attack Corps Monument
O-R
O-R
Ōdōtsu 117th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Ōdōtsu 117th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Ōi Naval Air Group Monument
Ōi Naval Air Group Monument
Ōita Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōita Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōita Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Takeoff Site Monument
Ōita Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Takeoff Site Monument
Ōita Special Attack Corps Monument
Ōita Special Attack Corps Monument
Okazaki Naval Air Group Monument
Okazaki Naval Air Group Monument
Ōsaka Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōsaka Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōtsushima Kaiten Monument
Ōtsushima Kaiten Monument
Ōurasaki Special Attack Base (P Base) Monument
Ōurasaki Special Attack Base (P Base) Monument
Ozuki Air Base Foundation of Peace Monument
Ozuki Air Base Foundation of Peace Monument
S
S
Saitama Special Attack Corps Monument
Saitama Special Attack Corps Monument
Sakudari Kannon Temple Wakazakura Kanzeon Bosatsu
Sakudari Kannon Temple Wakazakura Kanzeon Bosatsu
Sekiguchi Tokko Brothers Monument
Sekiguchi Tokko Brothers Monument
Sendai Pilot Training School Monument
Sendai Pilot Training School Monument
Seseraginoyu Ōka Monument
Seseraginoyu Ōka Monument
Setagaya Special Attack Peace Kannon
Setagaya Special Attack Peace Kannon
Shiga Naval Air Group Monument
Shiga Naval Air Group Monument
Shimizu Naval Air Group Monument
Shimizu Naval Air Group Monument
Shimoda Shin’yō and Kairyu Monument
Shimoda Shin’yō and Kairyu Monument
Shōdoshima Special Submarine Monument
Shōdoshima Special Submarine Monument
Shinshū Fumetsu Special Attack Squadron Monument
Shinshū Fumetsu Special Attack Squadron Monument
Special Attack Fleet Ryukon Monument
Special Attack Fleet Ryukon Monument
Special Submarine Base (Q Base) Monument
Special Submarine Base (Q Base) Monument
Submarine Crewmen Who Gave Lives for Country Monument
Submarine Crewmen Who Gave Lives for Country Monument
T
T
Takuma Naval Air Group Monument
Takuma Naval Air Group Monument
Tochigi Special Attack Corps Monument
Tochigi Special Attack Corps Monument
Tokunoshima Special Attack Peace Monument
Tokunoshima Special Attack Peace Monument
Tomitaka Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Sortie Site Monument
Tomitaka Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Sortie Site Monument
Tosashimizu 132nd Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Tosashimizu 132nd Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Toshio Shimao Literature Monument
Toshio Shimao Literature Monument
Tsuiki Kamikaze Ginga Squadron Sortie Site Monument
Tsuiki Kamikaze Ginga Squadron Sortie Site Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Peace Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Peace Monument
U-Z
U-Z
Urato Naval Air Group Monument
Urato Naval Air Group Monument
Usa Naval Air Group Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Usa Naval Air Group Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Usa Special Attack Monument
Usa Special Attack Monument
Wakayama Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Wakayama Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Yamaguchi Special Attack Corps Monument
Yamaguchi Special Attack Corps Monument
Yamanashi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Yamanashi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Yatabe Naval Air Group Monument
Yatabe Naval Air Group Monument
Yatabe Naval Air Group Pilot Statue and Guard Gate
Yatabe Naval Air Group Pilot Statue and Guard Gate
Yonago Pilot Training School Monument
Yonago Pilot Training School Monument
Youth Pilots’ Memorial Column
Youth Pilots’ Memorial Column
Yudonosan Kaiten Patriotism Monument
Yudonosan Kaiten Patriotism Monument
Zenkōji Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Zenkōji Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Zen’yōji Special Cadet Pilots Monument
Zen’yōji Special Cadet Pilots Monument
Lists
Lists
Type of Special Attack Corps
Type of Special Attack Corps
Internet
Internet
Air Group 4 - "Casablanca to Tokyo"
Air Group 4 - "Casablanca to Tokyo"
Aozora no hateni (To the blue sky’s end)
Aozora no hateni (To the blue sky’s end)
Junkoku no ishibumi (War Memorials)
Junkoku no ishibumi (War Memorials)
Kaiten Tokkōtai (Kaiten Special Attack Corps)
Kaiten Tokkōtai (Kaiten Special Attack Corps)
Tokkō (Special Attack Forces)
Tokkō (Special Attack Forces)
Yokaren Shiryoukan (Yokaren Museum)
Yokaren Shiryoukan (Yokaren Museum)
Other Forms
Other Forms
Chiran Speech Contest
Chiran Speech Contest
Junior High School Division
Junior High School Division
Special Attack Picture Postcards
Special Attack Picture Postcards
Tokkōbana (Kamikaze Flower)
Tokkōbana (Kamikaze Flower)
Writings
Writings
A-J
A-J
Ab-Ar
Ab-Ar
As-Fuj
As-Fuj
Fuk-G
Fuk-G
Ha
Ha
Hi-Ho
Hi-Ho
Ic-In
Ic-In
Is
Is
It-J
It-J
K-N
K-N
Ka-Kas
Ka-Kas
Kat-Ki
Kat-Ki
Koa-Kon
Koa-Kon
Kos-Ku
Kos-Ku
Ma-Mas
Ma-Mas
Mat-Min
Mat-Min
Mio-Miz
Mio-Miz
Mo-Mu
Mo-Mu
Nag
Nag
Nak
Nak
Nam-No
Nam-No
O-Z
O-Z
Og-Oi
Og-Oi
Ok-On
Ok-On
Os-Ot
Os-Ot
Sa
Sa
Se-Shim
Se-Shim
Shin-Su
Shin-Su
Tab-Tak
Tab-Tak
Tan-Tsu
Tan-Tsu
U
U
W
W
Yab-Yamag
Yab-Yamag
Yamam-Yamaw
Yamam-Yamaw
Yan-Yu
Yan-Yu
Books
Books
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies
Thesis
Thesis
Excel file that supports thesis
Excel file that supports thesis
Links
Links
About Project
About Project
Kamikaze Images and Friendship Dolls
Kamikaze Images and Friendship Dolls
Final Project Paper (PDF file)
Final Project Paper (PDF file)
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Last Letters of Second Lieutenant Toshio Kuramoto to His Wife and Other
Family Members
On May 11, 1945, Second Lieutenant Toshio Kuramoto took
off from Miyakonojō East Airfield as a member of the 60th Shinbu Special Attack
Squadron and died in a special (suicide) attack west of Okinawa at the age of
30. He piloted an Army Hayate Type 4 Fighter (Allied code name of Frank). After
his death in a special attack, he received a promotion to Captain. He
was from Kagoshima Prefecture, graduated from Kagoshima College of Commerce, and
was a member of the 1st Class of the Army Special Cadet Officer Pilot Training
(Tokubetsu Sōjū Minarai Shikan) Program.
He wrote the following after assignment to the 60th Shinbu Special Attack
Squadron:
Born a single subject of the Empire, I perform my patriotic loyalty.
There is nothing that surpasses this honor as the long-cherished desire of
a young man. Smiling for joy and in hushed silence, I am focused only on
accomplishment of my mission of instantly sinking a ship.
60th Shinbu Squadron
Toshio Kuramoto
He wrote the following final letters to his wife Kimiko and other family
members. The wedding ceremony for Toshio and Kimiko was held on February 14,
1945. Their engagement was very quick. The final letters include ones to Kimiko's father
and mother, Kitao and Shigeko Kabu. Kimiko's father was in a foreign country
at the time of Kimiko's engagement. While his family was waiting for his return home from abroad,
diplomatic relations were broken off. Toshio never met his father-in-law
before his sortie. Kimiko was pregnant when Toshio died in battle, and their
daughter Ryōko was born in January 1946.
Dear Mother,
I warmly thank you for your great kindness for thirty years. Please
forgive me for going without showing filial piety to you. Now I go in high
spirits. There is nothing that surpasses this as the long-cherished desire
for a man. I earnestly pray that you will have a long life. I ask that
you please take care of Kimiko.
Farewell.
May 4, 5:05 a.m.
Toshio
Dear Kimiko,
Please forgive me for the time of departure. Only because I loved you, my
heart was filled with the desire to not cause you sadness for a while. I
absolutely was not lying.
Please be cheerful and fight off all of the pain and sadness. I earnestly
desire that you live with a strong heart.
Now I will depart.
I pray for your happiness and health.
May 4, 5:12
Kimiko, I earnestly request you to show filial piety to Mother for my
part.
Toshio
Dear Older Sister,
You cared for me in many ways. I warmly thank you. I ask that you please
take care of Kimiko. I pray for your health and happiness.
May 4, 5:15
Toshio
To my dear child,
If you are a boy, please do not be second to me and become a fine
Japanese person.
If you are a girl, please become a woman with a kind nature.
Also, please take care of Mother and show sufficient filial piety to her.
From Father
Kuramoto's letter to his yet-to-be-born child
To Kitao Kabu
Dear Father,
In the end I go before you without being able to call you Father. I
received Kimiko and truly was happy. I warmly thank you.
This simple note is just to thank you.
May 4, 5:23
Toshio
To Shigeko Kabu
Dear Mother,
I am going. I ask you to care for Kimiko. I pray that you may have a long
life.
Toshio
Aki,
Show filial piety to Mother. Be a kind-hearted woman.
Shin,
Take care of yourself. No matter the work that you do, do not forget your
duty as a young Japanese man. Do your best. Now I go.
May 4, 5:28
Kimiko,
Thank you. Thank you.
I was happy.
I go gladly.
He also wrote the following two pages to designate the name of his child with
the first one for a boy and the second one for a girl:
Naming of Hiroshi Kuramoto
May 10, 1945, evening before sortie
Written by Father Toshio
Naming of Ryōko Kuramoto
May 10, 1945, evening before sortie
Written by Father Toshio
Axell and Kase (2002, 64-8) present the following story of Toshio Kuramoto
and his wife Kimiko. This is a condensed version in English of the original from
Takagi (1973, 149-77).
Kimiko Kabu, the wife of a Kamikaze pilot, kept a diary from the day she
became engaged to Toshio Kuramoto in the autumn of 1944, at which time
Toshio gave his fiancée a diary. She was 18 and he was ten years older. When
Kimiko graduated from a women's high school in Kyushu in the spring of 1941,
Toshio was working for the Mitsui Mining Company and he had an apartment
near Kimiko's home. Later, Toshio Kuramoto was conscripted by the Army and
fought in China as an infantryman. Afterwards, a corporal in the reserves,
Toshio was recalled to active service in 1943 and volunteered as a cadet in
the Army Air Force.
In January of 1944, Kimiko was allowed to visit her fiancée at Chiran Air
Base. She took a train that crossed Kyushu and Toshio greeted her in his
cadet's uniform. At the base, she was invited to observe his flight training
from the command post situated under a tent. Everyone treated Kimiko kindly,
knowing that she was engaged to a cadet. In April, Toshio was transferred to
Tachiarai Flying School which was closer to her home and meant she could now
meet with Toshio more often. On October 29, 1944, Kimiko made an entry in
her diary upon learning from newspaper reports that a Kamikaze attack
(obviously Lieutenant Yukio Seki's) had been launched against the American
invasion fleet in Philippine waters. The entry reveals the depth of Kimiko's
feelings:
So divine! A group of young eagles led by a 24-year-old. I am utterly
speechless by their action. But however worthy the sacrifice they made, they
were not orphans. They must have parents, wives, children, brothers and
sisters. When they took off, did they see the faces of their wives or
lovers? Their sweet faces? . . . . The newspaper reports broke my heart. I
was so deeply moved.
Kimiko did not then imagine that Toshio and she would face the very same
trial in just a short period of time.
Kimiko and Toshio were married on February 15, 1945 when Toshio was a
second lieutenant assigned to Kameyama Air Base, near Osaka. Because he was
not able to take a long leave, they were united at a Shinto shrine near the
base with Kimiko's mother in attendance. Kimiko wore a pair of blue trousers
made from the kimono she had on when she visited Chiran for the first time.
She remembered that Toshio had told her it was his favourite colour. In
those days women were encouraged to wear trousers rather than skirts as this
was more in accordance with wartime conditions when Japan was beginning to
feel the austerity accompanying the punishing effect of air raids.
Toshio told his bride that he was going through the most strict training,
learning 'how to fly extremely low so that enemy vessels will be hit without
fail'. She did not realize then what this meant – that her husband and the
other pilots were undergoing training for a suicide mission.
Lieutenant Kuramoto had joined a Kamikaze squadron at Akeno Air Base in
Mie Prefecture on March 27. Then he and his men were transferred to
Kumanosho Air Base on Kyushu so they took a train to that southern main
island. On the way to the base, Toshio got off the train at Moji in northern
Kyushu and visited Kimiko at her parents' house. Although they had dinner
together, Toshio did not confide to Kimiko that he had joined the Special
Attack Forces. He was able to spend only two hours with her and then hurried
to the railway station.
In April, Kimiko received a telegram from Toshio to come and visit him.
She was excited that she was now able to live with her husband. Toshio was
lodged at Wataya Ryokan, a Japanese-style inn in Kumamoto City. Kumamoto
City, the prefecture capital, is known for the majestic Kumamoto Castle that
stands in the heart of the city. When Kimiko arrived at the inn, the maid
who met her at the entrance told her that Lieutenant Kuramoto left for the
air base this morning in haste as they were shortly taking off on a mission.
The maid paused for a moment and said gravely:
'Please, dear madam, this is the moment to master one's courage.'
Kimiko now sensed for the first time that her husband was going on a
suicide mission. She was jolted and unable to speak. In a state of panic,
Kimiko was led to her husband's room by the maid who was surprised at the
wife's unpreparedness. The maid apologized, saying: 'Sorry, madam, I
shouldn't have told you.'
At this moment she introduced Second Lieutenant Osamu Shibata, who
belonged to her husband's unit. Shibata wore a head bandage from an accident
that occurred during a training flight and had, therefore, been left behind.
Shibata said the unit was not taking off that day and that he would escort
her to the base the next morning. The base was not very far from the inn.
Kimiko, alone in the room, had a frightful night. In the morning, Kimiko
and Shibata started out for the base as a heavy rain kept pouring down. They
took a train from Kumamoto and got off at Namazu, which was the third stop
from Kumamoto, taking only ten minutes. A bus from the base met them at the
station, re-entered the base and stopped before a triangle-shaped billet.
(One of these oddly shaped billets is on display at the Chiran Peace
Museum.) In the makeshift billet a few flyers were idling. While one of them
went out to find her husband, she was told that because of the rain all flights
had been cancelled.
Soon, however, Toshio arrived. He told her that thanks to the rain they
were able to meet. Using an umbrella they went on foot to a nearby farmhouse
where he was lodging, Toshio carrying his wife's travel bag. They walked on
a footpath through a field of rapeseed. Yellow rapeseed flowers were in bloom
and glistened in the rain. The peaceful scenery suddenly aroused in Kimiko
an earnest hope that peace would soon return to the world.
She folded up the umbrella so that her action would hide the tears
running down her cheeks.
Kimiko was pleasantly surprised to see that Toshio was living at a
well-to-do farmhouse. On the way to his room she saw purple hydrangeas in
the garden outside the window. Once they were settled in, she timidly
hesitated for a moment, then asked her husband:
'Did you volunteer as a Kamikaze flyer?'
'Where did you get that idea,' Toshio responded.
'From the maid at Wataya.'
Toshio looked jovial and lied to his wife.
'No. Never! That's wrong!'
But Kimiko felt that he was not telling the truth. She thought that he
was probably too tormented to speak frankly.
The rain continued and Toshio went to the base every morning and returned
every evening for dinner. Kimiko would often stand under the eaves of the
farmhouse, watching the rainfall.
Rain, rain, rain. The gentle sound of spring rain. She found it
delightful. After all, it was the rain that ensured her husband's life – and
hers, too. She had many chances to think about life, and the thought that
dominated her thinking was that without him there was no life for her.
During these rainy days she would tuck in her sleeves and stretch her arms
in the rain, thinking meantime that Toshio would never admit to her that he
had joined a suicide unit.
The rain continued for a week.
Then Toshio's unit received orders to transfer to another air base called
Miyakonojo, also on Kyushu. The unit returned to Kumamoto for one night
before proceeding to the newly assigned air base where the couple lodged at
the Wataya Inn.
That night everyone in the unit was invited to a gala farewell dinner.
Kimiko was not invited but she heard the men singing loudly together.
Listening to the songs and the conversation of the men, she could sense the
wistful mood of the gathering.
At last, Toshio returned, inebriated, to their room. Soon, she felt deep
in her heart, they would be parting from each other for good.
The next morning, she went to Kumamoto Station to see Toshio off. It was
raining again. The front of the station was slippery with dirt as workmen
were constructing an underground air raid shelter. She tried not to show her
tears. But she cried profusely the moment after the train pulled out from
the platform. She went back to her uncle's house in Hakata to wait for her
husband's call. It was at Hakata that a Mongol fleet landed on Japanese soil
in foiled invasion attempts in the thirteenth century.
That evening, Toshio telephoned from Miyakonojo, saying he would be there
for a week and asking her to join him there. She was instantly overjoyed and
went immediately to her parents' home where she told her mother that she was
convinced that Toshio had volunteered as a Kamikaze flyer. Hearing this, her
mother began sobbing.
At Miyakonojo, Kimiko and Toshio stayed at the Fijinoi Inn. As before,
rain continued to fall. In the morning, Toshio went to the base, leaving
Kimiko crying alone in their room, writing something in her diary, then
Toshio suddenly returned.
'Lucky you to have been born a girl!' he said laughingly. 'You can shed
tears while we boys are not allowed such a luxury.'
That evening the rain stopped and the pair went for a walk. Dusk was
gathering and the town appeared immensely beautiful, Kimiko was thinking,
with its lush trees and flowers, and its shiny wet pavements. Everything was
so eerily peaceful. Toshio had yet to tell her the truth but Kimiko had
gathered herself together and was filled with happiness as she strolled with
him. It was a halcyon night, she thought.
On April 22, she wrote in her diary:
'Let's not think of tomorrow. Live today to the full. What happy days I
am having! I have such a kind husband. He loves me deeply. Even if we were
to be parted for good, he will always live in my heart.'
On May 3, a dinner for the unit was held at a restaurant that stood next
to the inn. She heard, by accident, a corporal, Tadashi Mukai, say to the
proprietress of the inn, after letting out an ironic laugh: 'This is going
to be our last big feast!'
Late that night, Toshio came back to the room. He had, like the others,
been drinking. Kimiko pretended to be nonchalant.
'Do you sally tomorrow?'
'No,' he lied. 'It is just going to be another training flight.'
In the morning, a military vehicle pulled up in front of the inn.
Everyone from the inn and from the restaurant lined up on both sides of the
street to see the men off. Toshio stopped in front of them and said: 'Thank
you very much for taking good care of us.' And he gave a smart salute. Just
before he boarded the vehicle, he turned around and looked intently at
Kimiko. He then executed a salute in her direction.
But Toshio returned to the inn later that day. His plane had a minor
collision with another plane as they were taking off.
At dawn on May 11th, Toshio left, this time for good. Kimiko assisted him
in getting dressed. She helped him put on his underwear. This was the last
time she touched the skin of his body. Toshio took off for the Okinawan
waters never to return.
Kimiko was then pregnant. On January 27, 1946, five months after peace had
returned to Japan, she gave birth to a girl, naming her Ryoko, a name that
had been chosen by her late husband.
Letters translated by Bill Gordon
August 2018
The letters come from Terai (1977, 43-8). The biographical information comes from Chiran Tokkō
Irei Kenshō Kai (2005, 218), Osuo (2005, 199), and Terai (1977, 43, 47-8). The
image of the letter to Kuramoto's yet-to-be-born child is from Terai (1977, 45). The photo below is from
Osuo (2005, 109).
Members of 60th Shinbu Special Attack Squadron.
Toshio Kuramoto is standing second from the right on the back row.
Sources Cited
Axell, Albert, and Hideaki Kase. 2002. Kamikaze: Japan's
Suicide Gods. London: Pearson Education.
Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō Kai (Chiran Special Attack
Memorial Society), ed. 2005. Konpaku no kiroku: Kyū rikugun tokubetsu
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