Kamikaze pilots: Samurai tradition?

I have seen the movie "The Last Samurai" yesterday. Not historic, but great, definitely great!

It made me think about Japan's actual development in late 19th and early 20th century. How deeply were Samurai traditions still involved? Did the Kamikaze pilots follow this tradition?

And Japan expert who can help out?

[ 12. January 2004, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: KnightMove ]

 

I am really looking forward to watch the film, Knight. Glad to hear it's good.

But about the Kamikazes; there's no doubt that it was the last and 'greatest' act of Samurai fighting spirit of Japanese history.

It's all myth those pilots tied to their planes, under drugs influence, etc.

All men were volunteers and very rare times —if any— were drafted. Many men even cried and regret that there were not enough planes for all of them to take part in 'special' missions. And of course, many other solicitudes of volunteering by very experienced pilots were rejected, as well of those pilots with many children.

There a real story about a pilot who applied more than five times to his superior officer to volunteer for Kamikaze missions; all five time he was rejected because he was the father of four little girls. The wife of the pilot, after seeing the depression her husband had fell into, she poisoned her four daughters and killed herself. The pilot was then allowed to participate in a mission and died days later serving his country.

I strongly recommed you "The Divine Wind" by Rikihei Inoguchi, Tadashi Nakajima and Roger Pineau*, Knight. Is one of the best books —not only about WWII— I've ever read. :

* As a footnote I'd like to add that Mr. Pineau was a naval veteran of the PTO and Mr. Inoguchi and Nakajima were the two main officers responsible for planning and recruitment of pilots of Kamikaze missions.

 

Thx for the info, Fried. Just a warning about the movie, not to create expectations that might be disappointed:

Enjoy a great epic, but for this purpose, do not expect a too creative plot!

 

I also read an article "Shame of the Kamikaze who lived"-it detailed the kamikaze pilots who stood at readiness to die for their emperor at war's end but were not sent on missions. They were seen as cowards by their countrymen right up unitl the death of Hirohito in 1989, and by some even beyond.

Their traditions were very much of a Samurai nature. They stood true to those principles, and were only bettered by their naval and army superiors of general rank in loyalty the the code of bushido.

A truly remarkable group of fellows.

 

A good book on the subject is Raymond Lamonts: Kamikaze: Japan's Suicide Samurai.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0304352004/qid=1073987826/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_10_4/202-4746100-5950200

 

There was an excellent 2 hr documentary on the history of the Samurai, that was on The History Channel about a month ago.

If you get that channel where you live--just wait for it to be played again--probably within about 3 months. All I can say is that I learned a LOT more about the Samurai than I had known before.

Turner Classics Movie channel even had a marathon of those old Japanese Samurai movies on one night--I think on Thanksgiving, and they were pretty good, a bit dated but, pretty good. Toshiro Mifune was in the 2nd movie I watched.

A few things I learned were the meanings of some words I knew among other things.

Samurai means One Who Serves.
Ronin means Samurai without a master (Samurai or Lord)
Shogun means Samurai General.

Things like that.

 

I caught that documentary and had my students watch it for extra-credit. I thought it was extremely interesting and we all learned alot.

As you already know, Kamikaze translates to "Divine Wind", which fits very nicely into the romantic Samurai mindset.

The term actually came from an event in Japanese History. Kublai Khan set out to conquer Japan twice and both times strong storms coupled with tsunamis wrecked the Mongol fleet. The Japanese called these storms the "Divine Wind", or Kamikaze.

Incedently, the reluctance of Japanese soldiers to surrender during WWII was also a remnant of the Samurai Code in which death was considered far more honorable than the shame of defeat.

So in reality the Kamikaze had nothing to do with the Samurai, but it does fit with the Samurai mindset and attitude which was still prevelent in the Japanese Military of the times.

Later

 

Thx all for the info.

About the movie itself: It takes position in an old ethical question. There are two contradicting paradigms:

"It is good to bring freedom, democracy, human rights, modern science to backward peoples."
"It is bad to harm civilized, functioning cultures by enforcing Western attitude and commerce upon them."

The movie takes side for the second, which is quite an intrepid decision for an American movie in those days... isn't it?

 

And even if we bring democracy into their brains by injecting it with a 7.62mm bullet through thier foreheads or making them save for democracy by bombing their houses and families from 45,000 feet altitude.