CHAPTER 3: THE BIRTH OF CHANNEL SAKURA
3.1 T AGATA T AKEO – K AMIKAZE P ILOT A CTIVIST
Tagata Takeo was a fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service during World War II. He served from 1935 to 1945, flying and fighting over China, Burma, and Formosa. The defining experience of his military career began in 1944, when he became a flight instructor for young pilots who were to serve in the Special Attack Units (known as “Tokko” in Japanese or “Kamikaze”
in English). The pilots’ “special attack” involved turning their airplanes into human-piloted missiles and flying into enemy ships, dying in the process. Over half of his students went on to die carrying out missions against the American naval forces near Okinawa.113
Eventually it became Tagata’s turn to be called upon for participation in a
“special attack.” On August 14, 1945, Tagata, then 29-years-old and married with children, was asked to volunteer for an upcoming kamikaze mission. The
inexperienced young kamikaze pilots required veterans to lead them in their attacks. Tagata agreed to sacrifice his life carrying out that role. However, the attack never took place. His life was spared when a radio broadcast on the
113 Takeo Tagata, "Tokkotai and Me," Kamikaze, July 21, 2003.
http://www.geocities.jp/kamikazes_site_e/tokkotaiandMe.html.
following day announced that Japan had surrendered and the war had come to an end.
In the early postwar years, Tagata became a leader of a right-wing group known as the Nihon Kakumei Kikuhata Doshikai (The Japan Revolutionary Chrysanthemum Flag Association: hereafter referred to as Kikuhata Doshikai).
Founded in 1947, it was one of Japan’s largest right-wing organizations in the late 1940’s, having an estimated 6,000 members in 1949.114
Writing in 1950, Nobutaka Ike of Stanford University described the
Kikuhata Doshikai as the “National Socialists” of Japan, a fiercely anti-communist organization following an ideology that closely resembled the views of German Nazism. However, there were significant differences from older forms of such ideologies. Ike described how the shock of defeat in the war had changed the right in Japan, and “Kikuhata-ism” had developed traits that set it apart from Japan’s pre-war right:
1. Renunciation of force: In view of the long tradition of militarism and violence in politics, this is striking. It may be a reflection of the current unpopularity of militarism and militarists
2. Use of democratic symbols: This underscores the tremendous appeal of democratic ideals in contemporary Japan. It stands in sharp contrast to the open rejection of democracy by prewar Rightists
114 Ray Falk, "Seed of Dragons," Pathfinder 56, Issue 25 (1949): 24.
3. Appeal for mass support: Before the war Japanese Right-wing groups carefully avoided enlisting mass support. This was one of the distinguishing features of Japanese “fascism”.
The Kikuhata Doshikai’s literature set a 300 year timetable for revolution.
It would require an initial period of several decades to peacefully overtake Japan through election victories, and then would move on to spread its ideology around the world.115
Like other right-wing groups in the 1940’s and 1950’s, the Kikuhata
Doshikai was employed to oppose left-wing labor demonstrations.116 This kind of activity was viewed as a contribution to the struggle against communism.117 Tagata participated in strike-breaking activities at coal mines in Kyushu.
In 1960, Ivan Morris described the Kikuhata Doshikai as an organization that often used democratic slogans, but was “determined to pursue nationalist objectives by forceful means.”118
Tagata also became involved in postwar veteran’s organizations that sought to promote a positive remembrance of the kamikaze pilots who died in the war. Tagata wanted the pilots to be remembered as brave heroes instead of tragic victims
、
he told the Association for Retention of the Great Memorial of the Greater East Asian Holy War (Dai Toa Seisen Taihi) in 2003:115 Nobutaka Ike, ""National Socialism" in Japan,"Pacific Affairs23, no. 3 (1950): 311-14.
116 "秋ふかき 隣はなにを……"(2009年9月).http://www.ch-sakura.jp/mizushima/1296.html
117 Robert P. Martin, "Japanese Ultra-Nationalists Reorganizing Forces," The Gazette and Daily (York, PA), June 22, 1950, p. 19.
118 Ivan I. Morris,Nationalism and the Right Wing in Japan; a Study of Postwar Trends(London: Oxford University Press, 1960)
“After the war, many people say ridiculous things such as kamikaze pilots were victim of militarism, or kamikaze pilots died tragically.
Kamikaze pilots died bravely for their beloved homeland and their family as true Japanese. We shouldn't forget to be thankful to those kamikaze pilots.”119
Further evidence of Tagata’s historical views can be found inKamikaze:
Japan’s Suicide Gods, a 2002 English language book by British author Albert Axell and Japanese conservative Kase Hideaki. Kase and Axell devoted an entire chapter to Tagata’s tale. His account emphasized how the pilots, himself included, thought of their families and their country before their flights. Kamikaze tactics were depicted as a legitimate act of warfare that was not the same as suicide. Describing his own decision to volunteer, he said it “came naturally”
from his sense of duty to his nation. It was not something that was forced upon the pilots:
“I believe that no Kamikaze pilot thought he himself was committing an act of suicide. For them it was not a case of suicide at all. A sortie that would end in self-destruction was looked upon as a noble, a calculated act.
Actually, in battle, you are often asked to sacrifice your life voluntarily.
Such a norm is not restricted to the Japanese…… We pilots were allowed
119 Takeo Tagata, "Tokkotai and Me,"Kamikaze, July 21, 2003.
http://www.geocities.jp/kamikazes_site_e/tokkotaiandMe.html.
to choose our own fate. A Special Attack pilot heads towards his last moment by himself, of his own free will. However dire the situation faced by the nation, it was the pilot's decision to end his life in order to help the nation. ”120
According to Tagata, the pilots died heroic deaths, and should be remembered as heroes.
Back in 1946, militant communist labor organizers had taken over Toho Studios in Tokyo. During the labor dispute, the Kikunohata Doshikai was called in to fight against the workers. It is likely through this incident that Tagata
became acquainted with Watanabe Kunio, an anti-communist film director at Toho.121 Tagata developed the idea of making a film to commemorate the kamikaze pilots, and Watanabe was open to the idea. He asked Tagata to prepare a script. However, Tagata lacked experience as a screenwriter, and when Watanabe passed away in 1981, the project had not advanced beyond the initial planning stages.