Реферат: Who became kamikazee

militaristic and extremely nationalistic Japan, the current Japanese respond to the issue

with ignorance and false stereotypes and with generally negative and unsympathetic

remarks. The aim of this essay is to reveal the often unknown truth concerning the

pilots, and above all to give a clearer image as to who the pilots really were.

The hypothesis behind the question, "Who were the Kamikaze pilots and how did they

feel towards their suicide mission?" is that any pilot devoted to the country, who

volunteered and was chosen felt scared, yet took the responsibility to carry out his

mission.

Part One

The death of Emperor Taisho may be the point when Japan had started to become the

fascist state that it was during the Pacific War. Although the military had been active

ever since the Jiji period (1867-1912) in wars such as the Sino-Japanese War

(1894-1895), and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), it became extremely active

when Crown Prince Hirohito became Emperor Showa. Coup d'etats became frequent,

and several political figures were assassinated. By Emperor Showa's reign, the military

had the real authority.[1]

According to those who have lived through the early Showa period (1926-1945), the

presence of Emperor Showa was like that of a god and he was more of a religious

figure than a political one.[2] In many of the haiku that the Kamikaze pilots wrote, the

Emperor is mentioned in the first line.

Systematic and organized education made such efficient "brainwashing" possible. In

public schools, students were taught to die for the emperor. By late 1944, a slogan of

Jusshi Reisho meaning "Sacrifice life," was taught.[3]

Most of the pilots who volunteered for the suicide attacks were those who were born

late in the Taisho period (1912-1926) or in the first two or three years of Showa.

Therefore, they had gone through the brainwashing education, and were products of

the militaristic Japan.

Censorship brought restrictions on the Japanese people. The letters, diaries, and

photographs of individual soldiers were all censored. Nothing revealing where they