The social and political history of Japane heavily influenced the development of the kamikaze pilot. The training of these men sought to mold them through constant reference to an idealized version of the Japanese past. Until the constitution of 1868, the political system had consisted of a military dictator (shogun), clan lords (daimyo), and sword-carrying warriors, or samurai, even though the country itself had been at peace for over 200 years. Although this system was replaced at the end of the 19th century with a constuttional government, the new system became ever more authoritarian as Japan moved into the 1930s, and towards confrontations with China and eventually the US. Propaganda, reinforced with censorship, placed increased emphasis on the emperor as the divine and spiritual head of the nation and the "spiritual mandate" of the Japanese to take over the rest of the world. These ideals were exemplified as the kamikaze pilots flew boldly to their deaths.

During the 15 year war the training of the Japanese military increasingly relied on reference to the samurai and Japanese religious traditions. This reliance reached fever pitch as the war went against the Japanese and they were forced to replace military hardware with human weapons. According to the contemporary interpretation of Shintoism, for example, warriors were direct descendants of divine beings and therefore, would eventually become gods themselves. For the kamikaze pilots, this belief led to the notion of their divinity and names such as "the Divine Thunderbolt Corps." Their mission, too, held god-like connotations and was viewed with utmost respect. Buddhism could be interpreted in such a way that the sacrifices of these warriors were simply a crossing between two planes of existence, a necessary and inevitable transition; therefore this idea enabled many to accept their fate. Finally, Confucianism had long emphasized absolute loyalty to one's superiors..

zero-bomber with betty

With the new constitution of 1889, the years following the Meiji Restoration were marked with increase censorship and controlled education especially in the 1930's. One of the main intentions was to prevent subservient and unruly uprisings. An increased emphasis was placed on the emperor as the divine and spiritual head of the nation. As a result, the Japanese people were forced to strictly adhere to the "divine" and "absolute" will of the emperor. Many Japanese also believed they were given a "spiritual mandate" to takeover the rest of the world. This censorship helped to mold young Japanese men into bold soldiers who fervently flew to their deaths in the name of the emperor.

Kamikaze War Planes
The toko-tai, or the special attack forces, were often referred to as the "washi-kami" or the "kamanari". "Kamikaze" refers to the "divine winds" that resisted the Mongol horde in the thirteenth century. Members of the 721st Naval Air Corps were nicknamed the Jinrai Butai, or "the Divine Thunderbolt Corps", which refers to the kamikaze's god-like qualities.

zero-fighter

The kamikaze pilots used three types of airplanes. Most can identify the the zero-fighters, the smallest of the three, which could only carry up to 550 lbs of explosives. The kembu planes were slightly more favorable in that they were equipped with 1100 lbs. "Kem" means to build, whereas "bu" or "bushi" translates into "warrior/samurai". The entire phrase means "building up the samurai spirit". The ohka planes were developed by Lt. K. Ohta. This aircraft carried up to 2,800 warheads which clearly contradicts its innocent translation: "cherry blossom".

This exhibit was researched and designed by Guillermo Louis Rivell.
This exhibit and museum were created during an introductory seminar on the Asia-Pacific War, taught at Wake Forest University during the spring semester 2002.The material and opinions are those of their respective authors and do not represent the views of the University or
the Department of History.