A Look At How Japan Views The Kamikaze Pilots Of World War II

Kamikaze survivor Osamu Yamada with his colleagues, most of whom died crashing into an enemy target during WW2

BBC: How Japan's youth see the kamikaze pilots of WW2

During World War Two, thousands of Japanese pilots volunteered to be kamikaze, suicidally crashing their planes in the name of their emperor. More than 70 years on, the BBC's Mariko Oi asks what these once revered men mean to Japan's youth.

Irrational, heroic and stupid: this was what three young people in Tokyo said when I asked them about their views on the kamikaze.

"Heroic?" queried Shunpei, of his younger brother Sho's choice of word. "I didn't realize you were so right wing?"

It is difficult to verify the figures but it is believed that 3-4,000 Japanese pilots crashed their planes into an enemy target on purpose.

Only 10% of missions were believed to be successful but they sank some 50 Allied vessels.
Image copyright Osamu Yamada

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The mood has definitely changed since the Second World War.