Website
Media Site

The Last Kamikaze: Testimonials from WWII Suicide Pilots

Masami Takahashi

The Last Kamikaze

About

This film explores the minds of former suicide bombers who participated in the first well-orchestrated suicide mission in modern history, the one carried out by the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy during WWII. Although in the beginning, these suicide pilots were university graduates and intellectual elites in their 20s, by 1942 the Navy was aggressively recruiting a large number of boys who were only in their low teens. Fortunately, some never flew their final suicide mission because the war ended before it was their turn to fly out. The producer/director interviews several friends of his deceased father (who was also a former suicide pilot) in order to understand the mindset and motives behind such an extraordinary behavior. Now in their 70s and 80s, these individuals reflect upon their past and talk candidly about their lives, issues related to patriotism, spirituality, and on-going turmoil in the Middle East.

Subjects:

Regions:

Credits

The Last Kamikaze


Producer, Director 

Masami Takahashi


Editor 

Toshi Iga


Camera 

Maciej Kosim

Komatsu Masaaki


Archival Footage 

MacDonald & Associates 


Audio Engineer

Rich Martin


Audio Engineer Assistant 

David Cavazos


Post-production Supervisor 

Toshi Iga


Technical Consultant

Charles Nolley


Wakawashi no Uta by 

Nousho Omura


Douki no Sakura by 

Yaso Saijyo


Original Sound Track 

Anthony andNick Ribaudo


Narration

John Parker

Suzanne Gaskins


Subtitle Editing

Omid Nolley

Tim Porcelli


Image Scanning

Lori Cuevas

Gene McFaden


In order of appearance

Capt. Mark S. Welch

Mr. Takeji Naganuma

Mr. Yoshio Yonezawa

Ms. Yoko Ohshiman

Mr. Jyurou Tsuruta

Mr. Harumi Kawasaki

Mr. Senri Hayashi

Mr. Juri Ishihara

Mr. Jiro Yoshida

Kamui

Mr. Mikiei Tohata

Ms. Eiko Takahashi

Ema


All Yokaren

Asahi Newspaper

Asakusa View Hotel

Geographic Survey Institute of Japan

Houmei-kan Dojo

Illinois Humanity Council

Ishihara Bankin

Japan American Cultural Exchange

Japan National Diet Library

Japan Self-Defense Force, Tsuchiura-base, Office of Public Relation 

Joyo Newspaper

Kamui

MARS Production, Japan

New York Times

Northeastern Illinois University

Shinjuku Sports Center

Kitsap SUN

Tsuchiura City Mayoral Office

Tsuchiura Kijo Park

Tsuchiura Royal Lake Hotel

Tsuchiura Kura Museum (Domon Ken Museum)

Unabara-kai

Yushu-kan

Yasukuni Shrine

Zenkoku Kaiten-kai


Supported by: