Kamikaze diaries. Reflections of Japanese student soldiers

“We tried to live with 120 percent intensity, rather than waiting for death. We read and read, trying to understand why we had to die in our early twenties.” This reflection by Irokawa Daikichi, a kamikaze pilot, encapsulates the tragic reality faced by many young men during Japan's desperate military operations at the end of World War II. This poignant history unveils diaries and correspondence from tokkotai pilots and student soldiers who perished in the conflict. While often viewed as fanatical zealots willing to die for the emperor, the writings analyzed by Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney reveal a more complex truth. Many of these kamikaze were university students, drafted and compelled to volunteer for missions that seemed futile. They were the intellectual elite, deeply engaged with philosophical thought, and often expressed their anguish and fear through heartfelt soliloquies. Their writings reflect a profound ambivalence towards the war and articulate a thoughtful opposition to Japan’s imperialism. This work serves as a crucial corrective to the simplistic portrayals of kamikaze pilots, offering essential insights into the human experience of war and the historical context of Japan during World War II.