Kamikaze

by Yasuo Kuwahara, G.T. Allred

A Japanese pilot assigned to be a kamikaze in World War II recalls his rigorous training, combat experience, and the ironic event that saved his life

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Japan, World War II, War, Biography, Military Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 12, 1982

About the author

Yasuo Kuwahara was only 15 in 1944 when he won first place at the Japanese National High School Glider contest. As Japan’s war outlook grew dimmer, Japanese military officers pressed Kuwahara into training as a fighter pilot for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. After the war he worked for the U.S. government, and later owned a successful photography business. He died suddenly in 1980.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm fairly confident that I've just read "Kamikaze: A Japanese Pilot's Own Spectacular Story of the Famous Suicide Squadrons". My friend bought me a 1950s pulp from an airshow: the publisher is Ace Books, the cover has a menacing "Jap" airman grinning fiercely beneath his pencil moustache, and the title (bizarrely) is "Honshu". But it's by Yasuo Kuwahara and Gordon T. Allred and is about Kuwahara's experiences training as a pilot and joining the kamikaze. A later publisher must have realised that "Honshu" is a really rubbish title.

Perhaps predictably, for it is definite Mishima Country, I loved all of it. We don't know, really, how accurate the account is, but it felt remarkably honest. Layer upon layer of the shit we put teenagers through every time we have a war ... it's not good. "The 'mad, fanatic Jap' was too often a schoolboy, enmeshed in the skein of fate, not above weeping for his mother." Yes! And so who's that menacing, moustachio'd "Jap" that Ace Books put on the cover?

Yukio Mishima
After his Incident, the Prime Minister said that Mishima was "kichighai". This is usually translated as "mad", "out of his mind", "of a different mind" etc. But this is interesting:
“Generally, however, we pilots moved along two broad paths. The kichigai (madmen) were fierce in their hatred, seeking honor and immortality, living only for one purpose – to die. ... As time passed I allied myself with a second group, whose sentiments were usually the opposite, though rarely expressed openly. These men, mainly the better-educated, were referred to as sukebei (libertines) by the kichigai. Not that the sukebei were unpatriotic. I would die for my country today if necessary, as I would have died then. But life was decidedly dearer to us. We saw no purpose in death for death's sake."

Tatsuno!:
"The he gave me something. 'Here,' he said, 'take care of this for me. It's not much to send, but take care of it.'
Quickly I looked away. Tatsuno had just given me his little finger. Our doomed men always left something of themselves behind, a lock of hair, fingernails, an entire finger – for cremation.
…
Already the twelve had opened their cockpits, and fluttered their silk scarves in the wind. Always the wind – the divine wind. Ahead and beneath them the first flak was beginning to burst in soft, black puffs,
…
Tatsuno is alone now, still unhit, making a perfect run, better than they ever taught us in school. Tatsuno! Tatsuno! Fire spouts from his tail section, but he keeps going. The orange fingers reach out. His plane is a moving sheet of flame, but they can't stop him. Tatsuno! A tanker looms, ploughing the leaden liquid. They're closing! A hit! An enormous explosion rocks the atmosphere. ... That was my friend."

Sukebei:
"Later, at letter was discovered among the dead man's possessions. Apparently written that morning, it contained some terse statements regarding Japan's plight and the futility of war, and the conclusion read: 'My fellow comrades, by the time you read these words I will be dead. Do not judge me in anger. What is done, is done for good reason. Perhaps our leaders, and men everywhere, will come to realize the stupidity of war some day, and perhaps through my own feeble and miserable efforts some of you may live. Japan's surrender is imminent, and by the time you read these words there will be twenty fewer planes for men to waste their lives in.' Two of his best friends tore up that letter and devoured it, but its message was soon rumored about the base."

Kichigai:
"Sergeants Kashiwabara and Kinoshita had quietly sneaked to their planes and become some of the first Japanese to suffer death rather than the humiliation of surrender."

[Toni Kief · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over 50 years after reading this I still remember it vividly.

[Nicole P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an in-depth look into the life of the famous Kamikaze pilots. I found myself spellbound and intrigued, despite the million and one Japanese sayings.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This guy went through kamikaze training and was actually assigned a suicide mission. The things going on in Japan at the time were crazy and are very difficult to understand. The book is a unique insight into a bizarre mindset and culture.

[James Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually found myself riveted to my chair all weekend reading this book unceasingly. I think it is one of the best personal accounts I have ever read. It is extremely well written - so well in fact, I was almost able to be there myself. The words are dynamic and deeply personal. The book is about one young Japanese man, aged 15, inducted into the Japanese Army Air Force in 1944 WWII. It details in a very personal way, the arduous and often bestial punishment he and other young Japanese men endured during training. I thought to myself, "no wonder the Japanese were so barbaric and inhuman in their treatment of prisoners of war", when they, themselves, were bestial to each other in their treatment of their own fighting men. Instilled under the punishments of baseball bats and horse whips, these young men were inculcated by a sadistic cadre of militants to "bring honor to the Emperor" through their sacrifice as "expendable" commodities. The sadistic punishments they endured from their masters were meant to instill loyalty and create a "fighting spirit." Under normal human circumstances and in a Western cultural setting, such inhumane treatment, I believe, would rightfully have created justifiable mutiny. I then understood how the Japanese soldier could endure inhuman conditions during battle such as on Iwo Jima. I know our own American fighting men were amazed at their tenacity, obstinacy, almost inhuman ability to endure under the harshest conditions. No wonder they could! They had known little else from their military masters! However, due to this young man's dream of being a fighter pilot ace, and not knowing anything different due to his age and naivety, endured. Finally, after months of shocking brutality, he was selected as an actual fighter pilot and trained for it...he was so good at fighter piloting, he was not selected for "Kamikaze" until almost the last days of the war in August, 1945 (the best fighter pilots were not ordered to commit suicide - until the very end of the war in a last futile attempt to thwart the allies). I won't give away the suspense and ruin your read because anyone who is interested in World War II in the Pacific has to make this book/account an "absolute must read." By the way, the name of the Japanese man is Yasuo Kuwahara as accounted by the co-author Gordon T. Allred. This account is so detailed and personal, no one could have made it up! It has been implied that Kuwahara made this up, but anyone who reads this most likely will come to the opposite conclusion. I read this book because I am studying WWII in the Pacific and I wanted to learn the viewpoint of Japanese military men and how they saw the war. This book definitely filled a part of that need in a very personal way. It puts a face and a human being on the faceless, fanatically implied word: "Kamikaze." You will learn from this book that only a part of the Japanese pilots who undertook Kamikaze were fanatics - many of these young men were just like fighting men of any other nation fighting for their country...they did what they believed they had to do given the propaganda they were incessantly fed, from the troughs of Japanese Nationalism and militarist leaders of the time. Many Westerners even yet today, think of the Japanese People being fanatical, inflexible, xenophobic, brutal, unfeeling - but I think that after you read this book, you will see that underneath the cultural pressure to conform, the Japanese People, then and now, are human beings who also love, care for, have feelings, emotions, needs as all human beings do. They too, are human beings - and we all are a product of our own respective cultures. What person, who wishes to defend his country and is at war would not sacrifice his or her life for their country and their way of life? How much less were we, as Americans, fanatical in seeking retribution and retaliation for Pearl Harbor? The only difference might be, that we did not carry out the barbaric methods of genocide, torture, rape and murder that some of the Japanese did during WWII. I am aware of the barbaric deeds conducted by the Japanese all over Asia and across the islands of the Pacific - yet, I believe, we must always make those who were the actual perpetrators account for such deeds and decisions. We cannot punish a whole culture, a whole people, for what some of them did. Kuwahara was not one of those who carried out war crimes - he merely did his duty within the framework of his culture and what was expected of him as a fighter pilot ace for the Japanese Army Air Force. I think most other readers will see AND feel, what I am talking about after they have read this book for themselves. An excellent read! An excellently written book!

Mr. Allred was very lucky to get Mr. Kuwahara to speak in detail of this experience. I wish to quote "Warrior of the Rising Sun," by Mr. Robert B Edgerton (copyright 1997)that I am beginning to read, in his acknowledgement to his book with regard to this: "I also met many kinds of Japanese people, including some former junior officers of the Imperial Army and Navy. All were gracious, but no one wanted to talk about World War II. It was thought of as something that merely happened to Japan, not something that Japan had caused; Japan's economic rebirth was all that seemed to matter to them."

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insights, what a journal. Great read, finished it in one breath.

[Jazlyn Madrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kamikaze, a book based on the story of young Yasuo Kuwahara journey as a Japanese suicide fighter pilot during the Second World War is a quality read that really puts the audience in the feet of the author and makes them feel powerful emotions throughout the story. The metaphors, imagery, loaded language and use of personification is executed to perfection and the Kamikaze is truly worth the time to read. The overall quality of the text is great as the book was written in the early 1900’s but the book is still perfectly understandable, the text uses metaphors that have that use of loaded language but remain understandable. The loaded language is there, but in no ways is it overused. The text doesn't jump around on events too much nor does it dwell on the same situation for too long, giving you the full extent of the story but not making the read too long.
The book gives you an inside to Japanese morals, which in ways makes the reasons as to why the Kamikaze did what they did more understandable. It’s important that we read a book from the other side of the story because it's eye opening and it makes you more aware to the raw reality of World War II. “A part of me had wanted to assure the captain that I needed no time to consider such a request. No real man would waver, feel his throat freeze ad experience such coldness of soul. In the tradition of bushido, the samurai code of valor and chivalry, he would celebrate the glory of death, saying, “I rejoice in the opportunity to die for my country. It fills me with intense humility to have been so honored by my Emperor.” But i was more boy than man. I wanted my mother.” (Chapter 2) Throughout the book, the effect of the Japanese culture on the day to day life of the main character, Yasuo, is evident. From joining the military to making his decision to die at the hands of the Kamikaze mission, the effect of the culture is deeply engraved in his roots. Despite being a fifteen year old boy, the urge to honor his family name made him feel humiliated to even hesitate to join the military. It's also evident that the pressure of pleasing his family was a huge factor into the endurance of his situation. This pressure does come with psychological turmoil within Yasuo, as even showing signs of weakness was considered humiliating. Throughout the book, an internal struggle the author faces is weakness, though the exact situation he was in isn't relatable to any reader, the overall fear of weakness does make the audience think. “Whimpering because of pain or crying for ones mother were not only evidence of degrading weakness, they were indications that our lives had not been consecrated. We had yet to comprehend fully the doctrine of individual expendability. To acquire that unwavering testimony called for in the Imperial Rescript-that duty was indeed weightier than the mountains, that death was lighter than a feather.” This passage is from around the time he was in training, and it expresses one of the main points expressed in the book ‘that death was lighter than a feather’. The Japanese view on death is not only one of the key factors of the book, but one of the things that makes it such an interesting read. From the point of view of someone that isn't of Japanese culture (especially in that era) a lot of the things expressed may not make sense but I believe that is one of the most interesting things about the book; it puts you in the shoes of the other perspective, one that you may not ever truly understand. To conclude, Japanese morals have a huge effect on the lives of the Kamikaze, and this is prominent from the beginning to the end of the book, to understand the ways of these fighter pilots one must understand the ways of the Japanese, and the book gives the audience an inside to parts of the culture.
Throughout the story, Kuwahara personifies certain elements so as to add more of an understanding for his true emotions on a certain subject. For example his personification of death; the way he describes it as a relentless monster with tentacles clearly portrayed him as a person who fears death despite it being inevitable to him in his situation. “The tentacles were reaching out, relentlessly taking and taking. With each departure our sense of doom expanded. Sometimes it was a leaden feeling in the gut, sometimes a clotting in the throat. Increasingly it was both, often accompanied by waves of sadness, nascent tears and a kind of crying of the heart.” (Chapter 17) He describes death as a merciless monster, and this shows that Yasuo’s view on death has changed from a perception of nirvana, to something of sadness. This gives the audience a feel for the fear he is feeling, as death is inevitable in his situation. In the prologue, Yasuo references the day the first Kamikaze missions were assigned, in the scene he describes death as something that is looming in the room with the men, he describes his feeling as a fear he has never felt before saying, “I feel it coming-the fear, beyond anything I have yet known. Momentarily the rain subsides, then returns with increased intensity as he continues. Death is there with us, gray tentacles, sinuous and inexorable, clasping at our throats.” (Prologue) Once again referencing death as a monster, he uses imagery to make the scene that much more compelling by even describing the sound of the rain outside, this sets the mood as a very suspenseful moment. By using personification and those descriptions of death, the readers get an insider to what Yasuo feels as a Kamikaze. His perception of death is not uncommon, it's how his perception constantly morphs throughout the story, at the beginning he sees death as a nirvana, he then thinks of it as something horrifying, towards the end he considers it the only way out of his life of constant pain and at one point even considers suicide. This to me makes the story that much more interesting, as it's so personal and some of his viewpoints can even be relatable to some audience despite the difference in situations.
Another element added to the story that really makes it such a worthwhile read is his use of metaphors, is beautiful because it just adds that element to the writing that makes it special, it makes you want to keep reading. For example, Yasuo falls in love with a girl he meets at a nearby village during his time as a fighter pilot. Yasuo seems to see his growing love for this girl as a hopeless situation as his death day is nearing, but he falls in love regardless. In the final note he leaves the girl before leaving for his final mission, he writes “I will always love you. I will always be here somewhere, like the wind among the lanterns. Perhaps some night I will come to ring the chimes on your balcony. I pray that you will remember me when you hear them ringing, and when you hear waves along the shore. Most of all, I pray that you are safe and well. I pray for your eternal happiness.” (Chapter 27) Personally, this is my favorite passage in the book, the use of metaphors when he refers to himself as ‘wind among the lanterns’ makes the writing beautiful, because in that hes referring himself as something that is there even if we can't see it. Throughout the entire book metaphors are used as Yasuo describes things and it compels the audience as the writing is a craft that is well done. Another description loaded with metaphors and personifications is when Yasuo comes home for his three day leave before going off to be a fighter pilot, the passage is loaded with words that indicate comfort, this appeals to empathy from the readers because everyone knows the feeling of finding comfort after missing it for a long time. “I was barely able to crawl beneath the futon, barely able to feel it's caressing warmth, it's infinite softness and lightness. Sleep was a dark and slowly whirling vortex that carried me irresistibly downward. - When i revived, the sun was beginning it's descent, infusing my room with gold. For a while i lay there blinking, yawned and stretched. The gold welled, achingly beautiful, and unexpectedly, without the slightest forewarning, i began to sob.” (Chapter 10) The passage is filled with loaded words to make the description that much more raw despite it being something as simple as a sleep in his room, the use of metaphors, personifications, imagery, and other uses of loaded language makes this book that much more compelling, it pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading. The language used is one of the most captivating factors of Yasuo Kuwahara’s Kamikaze.
The overall quality of the text is great as the book is still perfectly understandable despite when it was written, the text uses metaphors that have that use of loaded language but remain understandable and the loaded language is there, but in no ways is it overused. The text doesn't jump around on events too much nor does it dwell on the same situation for too long, giving you the full extent of the story but not making the read too long. Making Kamikaze by Yasuo Kuwahara a quality read that's definitely worthwhile.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like two separate books. The first half covers the authors flight training and mostly describes the brutal beating he and his fellow trainees receive at the hands of their instructors. The second half covers his actual flying and fighting against the Americans. He provides a unique first hand account of being in the city of Hiroshima on the day the atomic bomb is dropped.

[Loredana (Bookinista08) · Rating 5 out of 5]

M-am încumetat să parcurg „Kamikaze. Povestea unui pilot japonez din Escadrilele Sinucigaşe”, scrisă de Yasuo Kuwahara în colaborare cu Gordon T. Allred, datorită fascinaţiei mele pentru cultura japoneză şi mai ales pentru spiritul de luptă japonez din cel de Al Doilea Război Mondial, sperând astfel să pot surprinde măcar o fărâmă din acea voinţă de fier care a dus la moartea atâtor piloţi sinucigaşi în numele Împăratului lor, pentru onoare şi împlinirea datoriei faţă de patrie. Însă nimic nu m-a pregătit pentru avalanşa cumplită de sentimente contradictorii care m-au asaltat pagină cu pagină!

Apărută pentru prima dată în 1957, „Kamikaze” s-a născut ca urmare a întâlnirii parcă predestinate dintre doi foşti inamici, cel puţin din punct de vedere al conflictului ce tocmai se încheiase de câţiva ani: americanul Gordon Allred, un tânăr istoric de 25 de ani, şi japonezul Yasuo Kuwahara, un fost pilot de vânătoare, în vârstă de 26 de ani, fost membru al unei Escadrile Sinucigaşe. Pe măsură ce prietenia lor se închega pe zi ce trecea, în mintea lui Allred a început să pâlpâie o idee, care apoi a luat contur şi, în final, a ajuns să fie aşternută şi pe hârtie. Astfel, povestea lui Kuwahara a ajuns cunoscută în lumea întreagă, iar cartea a fost inclusă în bibliografiile obligatorii ale mai multor licee şi universităţi de profil din Statele Unite. Descriindu-se ca fiind mărturia adevărată a unui fost pilot kamikaze din armata japoneză, „Povestea unui pilot japonez…” uimeşte oarecum prin simplitatea şi caracterul literar al limbajului, neputând fi clasificată ca o lucrare de istorie de referinţă, însă nici ca o lucrare de ficţiune, aflându-se undeva la jumătatea drumului dintre acestea. În mod surprinzător, sau poate nu, tocmai acest melanj a reprezentat cheia succesului pentru supravieţuirea în timp a poveştii lui Kuwahara, căci şi acum, după numeroase revizuiri şi ediţii, cartea poate fi citită dintr-o răsuflare, trăită cu fiecare nerv întins la maximum şi judecată în ceea ce priveşte faptele descrise în paginile sale. Este o lucrare care vorbeşte fiecărui cititor în parte, iar simplul fapt că poate fi pusă sub semnul întrebării atrage din ce în ce mai mulţi cititori, dornici să descopere adevărul.

CONTINUAREA AICI: http://semnebune.ro/2015/kamikaze-pov...

[Gary Toyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I helped Gordon Allred re-publish this book after he regained the rights back from Bantam. Some suggest that this is fiction because many of the facts don't coincide with historical facts. I won't dispute the facts, other than to say, I know Gordon Allred to be a man of utmost integrity. I believe because of the language barrier, Allred had to fill in the gaps whenever Kuwahara couldn't describe the events in English. After Kuwahara died, there was no way to correct any errors. I will also say that Allred repeatedly encouraged me to understand that war is messy, and often times personal recollections don't always jibe with fact. Here's my review:

In basic training, Kuwahara and the other cadets were beaten with clubs, learning to endure pain and to disregard their own lives. In flying school, physical abuse was encouraged and Kuwahara was nearly beaten to death by his hancho. When these loyal young cadets finally graduate, they are no longer boys, but hardened men willing to plunge their bomb-laden planes in a suicide dive onto the deck of U.S. Navy carrier.

Some Kamikaze pilots lived for only one purpose -to die for the Emporer. Although inwardly doubting the cause, all were willing to do anything in defense of their homeland.

Yasuo Kuwahara was one of them, and he tells this extraordinary story of life and death in the last nine months of World War II. This excellent book will percolate within you, and elicit a visceral response to this young man's incredible journey. For me, I gained tremendous insight into the desperate young pilots of the suicide squadrons. That he survived to tell this heartwrenching story makes it among the most incredible stories of World War II.

This book reads like a novel. It is a literary work like no other biography I've ever read. The fact that it is true makes it even more compelling.

[totomai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought the book in 2013 but did not have the time to read it until recently. The book opened with an explanation from one of the authors, Gordon T. Allred, after he was informed that the story of Yasuo Kuwahara may be a fabricated one. He maintained that he still believes Kuwahara, and let the readers decide afterwards.

The book is about the story of Yasuo Kuwahara, a 15 year old fighter pilot during World War II. It chronicles his experiences, frustrations, achievements and struggles. Allred did a great job in translating the story to English. It is very accessible, despite of some gory details. I am convinced that this was indeed a real account of a Kamikaze - it was too detailed, and consistent. (At least for this reader).

The voice of Kuwahara is consistent throughout the book, that of a teenager. Despite of the hard trainings, Kuwahara, alongside with his friends, Tatsuno, Nakamura, Oka and Yamamoto, still deliver a prank or two. Their friendship is one of the highlights of the book. Other notables are his relationship with his sister, Tomika and to his love, Tomoko. This is the reason why the chapters "A Brief Reunion", and "Ashes for the Family Shrine" breaks my heart.

Once you start reading the book, you can't put it down. It's suspenseful, intense and heartbreaking. Each scene is well-detailed that anyone planning to make it a movie will have a hard time duplicating it. I found the torture scene in "A Full Reparation" a bit exaggerated though. Same as the "Hiroshima" chapter, at some point I thought Kuwahara was Superman.

There are several typos, especially when it comes to the names of the characters. Also, Sulan, Philippines was mentioned, but I never heard of this (Sulan) island before. I also wish that some Japanese terms have a translation or footnote. That would help others who are not familiar with these terms (I know some as I am currently living in Japan).

A great book. I can't wait to see it on the big screen, if ever. Believe it or not, the night after reading the book, I had a dream (or nightmare) about war and the Kamikaze.

I'll end this review with one of my favorite quotes from the book,

“Seek only to preserve life -- your own and those of others. Life alone is sacred."

[Kitty Red-Eye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe even five stars. Very brutal, although the - What’s the word, not the author, but the person who’s story it is? - «protagonist» sounds like it’s fiction somehow. Anyway, very brutal, although the protagonist is not. His world is brutal. His training is brutal. His war is brutal. Yet he remains reflected, a person you’d like to know and call a friend. Just a young boy caught up in World War Two, on the Japanese side. His is a great voice for such a story, as he fully accepts his situation and is a loyal comrade to his fellows, a soldier like so many other. And yet you feel his will to live, to live in peace and to build a better life, his will to love. He lived to see the future. So many did not.

[Adam Cormier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding recount of a Kamikaze pilots training and experiences flying for his country. Entering service at 15 yrs of age, kuwahara saw more in 2 yrs service than many face in entire life's service. From completing his training, to accompanying many on their final suicide flight missions, to experiencing the destruction of a Nuclear Bomb. A must read for anyone who wants to understand the Japanese perspective of these tragic events. Highly recommend, one of my top 5 reads of 2020 hands down.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally read WWII books but I really enjoyed this one. Interesting to hear the perspective from someone asked to do something most of us would consider unthinkable. I've visited the War Memorial museum in Hiroshima twice now. Not sure that they don't already do, but they should sell this book at the museum.

[David R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an astonishing account of one Japanese "kamikaze" pilot, told to a sympathetic listener many years after the second world war. But it's almost too compelling. As the intoductory material warns, there are many who doubt and ask questions that can no longer be answered.

[Aubrey Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kamikaze" is a memoir written by Yasuo Kuwahara and Gordon T. Allred. The genre of this memoir could be classified as historical. "Kamikaze" is about Yasuo Kuwahara and his story of becoming a member of Japan's famous suicide squadrons, the kamikaze, beginning when he was at the age of 15 when he won first place at the Japanese National High School Glider contest. It is a greatly detailed account of the training, life, and minds of the kamikaze during World War II.

"Kamikaze" takes place in Japan during the time of the second world war. Beginning in 1944, Yasuo Kuwahara is a 15 year-old boy attending school like an everyday boy in Japan, when he then enters a national glider contest. He ends up triumphing over all of the other contestants, and won first place. With this, he was then recruited and asked to join the Japanese military and go to the Hiro Air Base and train to become a pilot. At this time, during his first round of training, Yasuo believes that it is extremely harsh and he is filled with hatred for his superiors. However, as the book progresses and he becomes closer to becoming a fighter pilot, he becomes stronger, more enduring, and brave. In the beginning, his conflict seems to be to endure his training and bring honor to his family. His main conflict, in my opinion throughout the book, would be the thought that he would someday have to die for his country in order to win the war and bring honor to Japan and his family. He also has to battle the psychological aspect of this along with the harsh training. The book shows his progression from a boy to a man, through his fighter pilot training, to love, to losing those close to him, and to seeing the harshness of the war, and to the end of World War II.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "Kamikaze". It was a great account of something I am very, very intrigued by. One aspect I really enjoyed about this book is that it integrated Japanese words along with the English text (while also using content clues for their definitions). This was something I enjoyed because of the fact that I am currently studying the Japanese language, and it was great to see a lot of what I have learned and to learn even more. I also love that I can see in depth about what training was like for the kamikaze, and the psychological and physical challenges they had to go through. Japanese culture in general, is very interesting to me and I always love to learn even more than I already do about it. I would recommend this book to anyone who is intrigued by Japanese culture, history, etc., or is thirsting for furthering your understanding of the kamikaze. It would also be good for anyone who loves World War II. I can definitely say this was worth my time to read.

[Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kamikaze" by Gordon Allred and Yasuo Kuwahara is a spectacular story about honor, loyalty, and death in the eyes of a Kamikaze suicide pilot. Kuwahara was only sixteen when he learned to appreciate life and how easily it can be taken away. It was his dream to one day fly as a fighter pilot for his country. After a long road of challenges that pushed him to his limits, he becomes a pilot. However, this isn't the theme of the story. He protects Kamikaze fighters (many of whom he has formed close personal relationships with) and witnesses many of his friends' deaths. He knows that his time to die for his country is approaching and begins to look at death a new way. In the beginning, he compares the Kamikaze to his samurai ancestors and views their deaths as honorable and for good cause. He soon realizes that it would take a miracle for Japan to win the war and that the Kamikaze are dying in vain. "There is no honor in dying for a dead cause." He thought of that sentence often and grew angry with the officials in Tokyo. He however remained loyal to his country when he received the news that he would become a Kamikaze pilot in a short time. He had three days to do what he wanted before he and the last of the pilots would start a massive suicide attack on the Americans. He becomes a victim of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima on his way to visit his family. Japan surrenders and Kuwahara is honorably discharged days before he was to die as a Kamikaze fighter. It is after his life is saved by the defeat of his country that he realizes that "death is as light as a feather", the theme of the story.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any reader that likes suspense, historical stories, and stories of near-death situations. One of the connections that I made in the book was when Kuwahara tells of the extreme conditions at training. My grandpa lived in Japan and worked as a federal investigator. He told me stories of the harsh conditions that the Japanese put their military and prisoners through. The beatings and starvation in the book was similar to the ones that my grandpa witnessed in the Tokyo prisons. I liked how suspenseful the author was in the book. He focused a lot on when he was close to death, such as the storm in the Pacific, almost being shot down over Okinawa, and the many times that he had almost committed suicide. This kept me interested in the story. The author also used descriptive Language throughout the story. This helped me to imagine the story and to stay interested in the story.

[Anna Kļaviņa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written story of growing up and fighting during WW2. Surprisingly it is not completely depressive book; Kuwahara-san was able to stay human despite harsh times and still had ability to have ray of hope and dream even in the darkest times.

It is story of Yasuo Kuwahara who was pressed to join the army; he went thought harsh basic training to become a pilot, when he was chosen to fighter pilot training Yasuo was nearly driven to suicide by cruel hancho. But the worst was accepting that he and his friends are fighting for the lost cause, losing his friends, losing part of himself... At the 8th August 1945 Yosua was scheduled for his suicide mission it was cancelled as at the 6th August the Americans dropped nuclear bomb on Hiroshima city.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This was first published (in English) in 1957, and I have one of the really early paperback editions, not this newer one.

This was a fascinating look at the training regimen and experience of a kamikaze pilot written by someone who experience it. In fact, he had already received his orders to go on his suicide mission when Japan surrendered. It was a really interesting book.

[Matt Pearson]

If you want to understand Japan read this book. At once the touching story of a teen coming of age, and the horror of what the Japanese were doing to others and themselves. Brutality and tranquility. Beautifully written down to the tragedy and elation of not having to plunge into a battleship. This book needs to make it back into popular reading.

[Rudi Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this every decade or so, and it is an INCREDIBLE read. I grew up in Japan for a number of years. The approach to life and death and suffering by the Japanese is so incredibly different than what we take for granted. The graphic portrayal of how they slipped into these last weapons of the war in such a stylized, civilized manner is so truly frightening and at once human.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some research has proven this story to be a fabrication (rather than autobiographical, as advertised): http://americanlegacymedia.com/Kamika... But still an interesting read, if one reads it as fiction.

[Mares · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that highlights the crazy thing that WWII was. Some boys taken from school and turned over night into competent soldiers. Some experiences and horror stories that many of us won't live in their entire lifetimes. A truly awakening reading.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insight into the life and the mindset of the Japanese during WWII.

[Nathan Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gordon Allred is a brilliant author, and a great friend. Kamikaze does an amazing job portraying the life of Japan's suicide pilots during World War II.

[David Scarbro · Rating 4 out of 5]

First person account of young Japanese pilot drafted near the end of WWII. Amazing story. Read via Nook, borrowed from Boston Public Library.

[Callie Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wonderfully haunting story! If you are interested in history, specifically WWII or Japan, you should read this.

[Katie Wahlquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read many books about WWII, but not many from the Japanese perspective. Super interesting.

[Psychonaut · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Apzmarshl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harsh and painful to read at times. Great history.