So what was the viewpoint of your average Japanese soldier? Like the SS and such from Germany they seam to have the zeal and belief in what they were fighting for. But is there a greater reason the average soldier thought he was fighting for?
Contrary to the popular western belief that all Japanese were fanatical fighters, giving their lives for the emperor, according to my familial accounts and from people I have talked to and accounts that I have read, I am confident in saying that fighting for the emperor was quite low on the list of most of the average soldiers. Of course there were those who were full of zeal and willing to lay down their lives for the emperor, and in most battles in the Pacific, entire garrisons of thousands of soldiers were wiped out with few prisoners. But one thing you should know about Japanese culture is that almost everything is performed with a group mentality. Individualism is extremely unusual, and unit cohesion is valued. I suppose in simpler terms, the fanatical and zealous soldiers, usually officers, would have enough influence over others to keep them in line, and the group pressure was often so strong that it would lead to suicidal actions such as Banzai charges and Kamikaze attacks. There are also accounts of wounded, and civilians being given hand-grenades to avoid capture. The fear instilled in the average soldier of what may come with surrender, which was unavoidable shame when they returned home was too great for many and sadly they chose death. If you've ever read accounts of veterans fighting in the Pacific, you'd get somewhat of an understanding of the harsh environment they were in and the enemy they were up against, and it wouldn't be surprising for anyone to succumb to a fatalistic attitude. This was very true for the Japanese troops as they were forcibly conscripted and sent to fight thousands of miles from home against a technologically and numerically superior enemy while their own supplies rarely reached them leading them to starve and become too weak to fight. So this fatalistic attitude also contributed to their senseless suicide attacks. There's even a term for it in Japanese, it's called 肉弾 nikudan which literally translates to "meat bullet", meaning that because of the lack of ammunition, men would charge at the enemy in a last ditch attack. If they knew that their chances of survival were virtually nil, then they would try to resign themselves to death. One of my great-uncles I recently learned was fighting in New Guinea and after he returned to Japan, one of the things he told his family was that the last words of many of the soldiers were not things like "For the emperor!" or "Banzai!", but rather it was "Mother..." So to sum it all up, my view of the average Japanese soldier is that those men and women in the Imperial service was quite tragic. Most were not volunteers and while many of the well known accounts of soldiers are filled with undying devotion and enthusiasm, I believe that for many, to fight on when their situation was bleak and hopeless, would have been very difficult for them.
Good comments, Karma. Thanks for response. I understand that the disparity between the officer and enlisted men was large and that very junior enlisted were often brutalized. Have you had this verified by your readings or discussion with former soldiers of the IJA?
Thanks Karma, There is still a lingering stigma toward the Japanese soldier but your explanation shows not all were the evil depicted by propaganda. My Uncle stayed in Japan after the war until 1946 or early 1947 and he has said that the People were hesitant but courteous, Friendly but cautious. And why not, they had been told of the evil Americans and were now encountering them first hand. He lost many friends during the War but has never held any animosity toward the People of Japan.
Man. Thats pretty crazy. Sounds a bit like you fight or we kill you. so they fought alongside each other, and if most died the group died with them? They say the officers led the charges but would the soldiers ever group up and just say no? Great post karma.
Possibly. A friend and co-worker of my dad's was the third one over the crest on Suribachi. While they were up there two Japanese charged his platoon from a cave. They later sealed the cave. Several days later when his platoon was pulled off line he and a buddy went back to the cave and unsealed it to look for souveneers. They had to go back for gas masks as they found over 100 bodies in the cave. Things would have gotten very dicy at best if they had all charged out. Certainly implies some sort of disagreement as to what they should have done.
Great and thoughtful post Karma. I enjoyed reading it. Istnick, I would suggest some reading for you. Try E.B. Sledge's With the Old Breed if you haven't already read it. I also would suggest Maxwell Kennedy's Danger's Hour. Both will help give you a varied view of Japanese soldiers and pilots.
I also enjoyed your response Karma. How would the Kamikazes fit into this explanation? Were they fanatical and zealous fighters for the emperor? Or, were the majority fatalistic in regards to what you just stated? My better judgement makes me guess that like your post stated, there was a mixture. However, since the corps of Kamikaze was really brought up during and after Leyte Gulf (in late 1944), could the answer be the fatalistic and hopeless catagory more than the others?
Ulithi, I would also recommend Danger's Hour to you. Much of the book is devoted to the training and thought processes of the pilots in the kamikaze groups.
Much of where I get my info from are from personal accounts of former Imperial military veterans and from people who lived through those times through face to face conversations as well as indirect interviews. I also visit the Yasukuni War shrine from time to time and I've talked to veterans who visit there, which provide valuable insight into the mentality of the actual soldiers.
I love to hear the Japanese viewpoints. I have much respect for every side that fought in the war. The Japanese seem to be like us, a little different.
Pleasure to see you here, Karma, and to see your writing. I grew up near a large Japanese formal garden with a small shrine in the middle and my grandfather fought in the Pacific. I've always been fascinated both with Japanese art and culture in general and the war in particular. It's good to see someone working to dispel lingering stereotypes and trying to remind us of our common humanity.
