Almost sixty-one years ago, the Zero, a Japanese fighter plane, strapped with a bomb with its sole intent of mass destruction, flew straight into the USS St. Lo, causing fire and other explosions. Though this may or may not have been the first kamikaze attack (there were previous incidents of planes flying into ships, but possibly accidental), this was the first to sink a ship and intentionally.

Immediately following the events of September 11th, there were numerous comparisons between the acts of the ‘tokkō’ (special attack) pilots who crashed their planes into their enemy and the terrorists who crashed their hijacked planes into their enemy. Their acts and their intentions to kill and destroy were similar; however those are the only parallels between the Japanese tokkō pilots and the terrorists. These similarities are not important. What are important are the differences. The difference of attitude, mentality, and reasons behind their motive should serve as the primary point that distinguishes the horrific acts of the terrorists and the terrifying, but heroic acts of the tokkō pilots.

Many believe that the Japanese soldiers who fought in World War II courageously fought and died for their emperor and their country (actually, the emperor and the country are one and the same in Japanese ideology since the post-Meiji era). This idea was carried over and used as a reason as to why the Japanese were willing to sacrifice their life, by piloting their planes or submarines into their enemy. However the real reason behind this courage had nothing to do with the emperor. In fact, according to many survivors of the tokubetsu kōgeki-tai (Special Attack Unit) or tokkō-tai for short, they volunteered because they wanted to end the war. They wanted to protect their family and their loved ones. They hoped that by sacrificing their life, they would be able to save Japan from the enemy.

Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese knew they would be fighting the Americans. They were confident in defeating them. However, as the tide was taking a turn, the Japanese military needed to raise morale and fighting spirit. Propaganda was normal and the civilians were led to believe that the Japanese were in fact winning the war effort and that their fathers and sons, husbands and brothers were serving their country honorably. Even if they died, their death would make their family proud and they would be honored as gods.

Air power proved to be an important factor in the war. Though the Japanese were probably equal or perhaps even stronger than the United States in terms of airpower at the beginning of the war, things took a turn as the war progressed. Their planes were being shot down one after another and their production could not keep up with the amount of planes they were losing. The Japanese just could not match the industrial power of the United States who appeared to have a virtually unlimited amount of resources. Not only were they greatly outnumbered eventually, but they proved to be outmatched and outclassed by their American counterparts.

The Japanese navy was once one of the greatest in the world. Many of the Japanese ships were some of the most advanced ships when they were built. However, by World War II, many were outdated and obsolete. As the war progressed, many ships were sunk and their navy was dwindling in force. The Japanese military needed a way to level the playing ground against their enemy. By sinking enemy ships, the Japanese had a chance. This was how the tokubetsu kōgeki-tai was developed. The idea, championed by Vice-Admiral Takijiro Onishi, was to strap a 250kg (approximately 550lbs) bomb on a Zero plane and crash it into an enemy ship. That was the birth of the kamikaze attack that sacrificed thousands of lives of a generation of Japanese males as young as fifteen years old.

One of the most surprising aspects of the tokkō-tai is the amount of volunteers that lined up to participate in these missions. By the end of the war, it was calculated that the amount of volunteers was double that of the available planes. Restrictions such as prohibiting first and only sons affected the overall numbers of participants, even though that number only comprised a small fraction of those who actually volunteered. Even though many of these volunteers did not initially know what their missions were, very few changed their minds when they eventually found out. They all knew was that the missions were dangerous and they would be risking their lives. They also knew that death was certain and when the exact description of their jobs was explained, they courageously accepted. The idea of being able to end the war and protecting their family from an invasion proved to be enough of a reason.

Some of these volunteers were straight from high school. Actually within a few months of the commencement of the tokkō missions, most of the pilots that were trained and recruited were fifteen and sixteen year olds. As Japan began to lose the war, they began lowering the standards for enlistment into the military and to become a pilot. Unemployment was at its highest ever and when schools began to close down, these teenagers had nowhere to go and nothing to do. All the propaganda films of the glory of the Japanese forces as well as the heroics of the Japanese military fueled their wants further in making a career serving the country.

During the pre-Meiji era, only those born into the samurai class were allowed to be samurais. Though some exceptions were made for some commoners, not everyone was capable of becoming one. However, after the Meiji Restoration (1868), the military became conscripted to mirror the styles of the West. Almost anyone who was physically and mentally capable was free to choose their career as a military man and serve either in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) or Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).

Teenagers were giving up their lives for their country in a way totally different kind of way. In the west, it is unheard of. The Americans who experienced or saw it first hand could not believe their eyes. They thought the Japanese were insane. In fact, these acts were more desperate attempts by the Japanese to level the playing field. If they sunk more ships, they would still be in the game. This was the intention, however, only at the start of the war. As the battle progressed, many of the higher-ups knew Japan would lose. Without regard to this knowledge, they had a mentality of not surrendering and not giving up. This act was disgraceful and they would rather die than disgrace their family. One of the ideas of “bushido” (way of the warrior) was to preserve one’s honor. By sacrificing yourself, you are preserving the honor of your family. Takijiro Onishi (creator of the tokkō-tai) did just this at the end of the war.

At the height of the tokkō missions, the pilots themselves understood Japan’s position. They could not produce materials of war fast enough to balance out all the tanks, ships, and planes they were losing. Most importantly, their oil reserves were dwindling. There wasn’t enough material to prevail in the war and they needed to acquire a fuel source. One of the main reasons for Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor was to prevent the Americans from entering the war so quickly. An attack like that would push back their efforts by another year or two, giving Japan enough time to control the Dutch East Indies (Malaysia) and enough time to acquire the necessary fuel. Food was becoming scarce though the military and tokkō pilots did in fact eat better than the civilians. These pilots were treated like everyday was their last day with abundant amounts of food and sake. It was the least the military could do for them in return for making such a sacrifice.

These pilots only had hope. They were ready for death and many were actually relieved to know how they would die and that their death would in some way help their family. They hoped that their crash would have a large number of fatalities and that it would sink a ship. They hoped that their trips were successful and that they weren’t shot down before hitting their targets. These pilots pledged their life to preserve their country’s honor and protect their family from the enemy. To compare these heroes to terrorist is a clear sign of complete ignorance. Just because the two groups performed the same action does not mean they are the same. The quote “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” does not fit in this case. It does not fit because the Japanese weren’t terrorists. They sacrificed themselves because of love. They sacrificed themselves to protect their loved ones and their country, unlike the terrorist who killed because of hate.

Hide Nakata is a Halfway Contributor