Book Review: Kamikaze
A Japanese Pilot’s True Story of the Famous Suicide Squadrons
This World War II classic autobiography is newly revised and re-crafted. How the co-author avoided his suicide mission is among this war's most bizarre twists of fate.
Kamikaze: A Japanese Pilot’s Own Spectacular Story of the Famous Suicide Squadrons
Yasuo Kuwahara & Gordon T. Allred • $16.95 • American Legacy Media • 978-0976154754
Kamikaze was initially published in 1957 by Ballantine, and was the first autobiography written in English by a former kamikaze pilot. It was a national bestseller, and was instrumental in helping American’s temper their view of the Japanese after World War II. Recently updated and revised by co-author Gordon T. Allred, Kamikaze puts a touching and human face on these young boy pilots once believed to be nothing more than mere fanatics.
At age 15, Yasuo Kuwahara was crowned the best high school glider pilot throughout Japan. Shortly thereafter, an officer representing the Imperial Japanese Army visited him and his parents at their home. After the officer’s visit, Kuwahara’s parents were honor-bound to accept the “invitation” that their son report for military duty and become a fighter pilot for the Emperor. Little did they know that he would be assigned to join the infamous suicide squadrons.
Brutal Basic Training
Throughout basic training, Kuwahara and his fellow cadets were beaten with clubs, and forced to accept repeated violent attacks designed to teach them to endure pain and disregard their own lives. The torture was unbearable for nine of his comrades, each of whom committed suicide rather than endure the abuse. For the military leaders, suicide was an unfortunate but acceptable training outcome, expected to weed out the weak and identify those with sufficient bravery to wear the Japanese uniform.
As Kuwahara advanced to flight training school, the torture continued at the hands of his “honcho” he dubbed “The Praying Mantis,” who embodied a “lean, insectivorous appearance and vicious nature.” After one aerial combat training exercise, Kuwahara’s flying prowess forced the “Mantis” to bale out of his pursuit plane just before it exploded in a fiery crash. Unfortunately for Kuwahara his honcho survived, and for dishonoring his superior, Kuwahara was beaten near death and placed in solitary confinement. Through sheer personal will, Kuwahara clung to life to thereby claim final victory over his tormentor.
As Kuwahara’s flying skill improved, he began flying as escort for other Kamikaze missions, and was nearly killed at the hands of the American enemy in a fierce aerial dog-fight. As the months and weeks progressed, he watched his comrades depart one by one for their final heroic missions, never to return.
Likely the book’s most upsetting, yet compelling relationship comes when Kuwahara meets Toyoko, a 26 year-old sister figure who befriended the shy and awkward young pilot. Upon returning from each dangerous mission, their relationship blossomed into romance. But as the sexual tension reaches its high point, their relationship falls victim to the circumstances of war, leaving us to wonder what happened to Toyoko after the war.
Saved by the A-Bomb
After almost ten months of training, in early August of 1945, Kuwahara receives his long awaited orders to complete his suicide mission. He was permitted to return home near the city of Hiroshima to bid sayonara to his family, but fate again interceded.
On the morning of August 6th he watched a lone American bomber fly overhead, and within seconds a bright flash brought immediate destruction all around him. He miraculously survives as a concrete wall protected him from the initial blast, but he is then injured as it collapses on him. Ultimately, he avoids certain death by avoiding his suicide mission, but ironically he is spared as a result of the most deadly single blast in the history of warfare.
Kamikaze is not without its controversy. One historian had recently questioned the authenticity of co-author Yasuo Kuwahara’s account, suggesting certain details of the story do not coincide with existing historical documents. A lengthy argument both for and against can be found on the publishers website at theKamikazeBook.com
Without regard to the controversy, Kamikaze is a gripping and beautiful story. The writing is both crisp and credible, as the authors magically transport the reader to a time of chaos and uncertainty in the waning months of World War II.
