Memoirs of a Kamikaze

More about the book

An incredible, untold story of survival and acceptance sheds light on a dark chapter in Japanese history. The narrative follows Kazuo Odachi, who joined the Imperial Japanese Navy at 16 in 1943 and was later assigned to the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps, tasked with sacrificing their lives by crashing planes into enemy ships. Their grim motto was "ten dead, zero alive." Readers will experience the grueling fighter pilot training, the psychological trauma of facing death before missions, and share Odachi's relief when Japan's surrender cuts short his last mission. The book evokes anger towards a government that downplayed the sacrifices made during the war. Odachi's "samurai spirit" guided him through childhood, WWII, and his later life as a kendo instructor, police officer, and detective. His attention to detail and strong mind were often vital for survival. For decades, he kept his Kamikaze past a secret, but after seventy years, he agreed to share his story through extensive interviews with the authors, revealing the truth about the Kamikaze pilots—young men coerced into serving their superiors without accountability. This work offers a fresh perspective on these infamous suicide pilots, presenting a personal account rather than a traditional war chronicle or academic analysis. It is a direct transcript of Odachi's experiences and insights.