# At 81, Japanese vet makes rare return to Iwo Jima



## v2 (Sep 30, 2008)

The tunnels of Iwo Jima snake deep beneath the volcanic rock and soil, their entrances camouflaged by a dense tangle of vines and tall grasses.

In their stifling heat, Tsuruji Akikusa suffered months of hunger and thirst. The bodies of dead comrades lay around him. His closest buddy blew himself up with a grenade rather than surrender.

Finally, Akikusa was the only one left alive in his cave.

In May 1945, he says, U.S. troops found him wounded, unconscious and dehydrated. Out of 21,000 Japanese defenders of Iwo Jima, only about 1,000 had survived.

full story: Newsvine - At 81, Japanese vet makes rare return to Iwo Jima


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## seesul (Sep 30, 2008)

It had to be very touching moment for him...
Hope the future generations and mainly politicians will learn from it...


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## Wayne Little (Sep 30, 2008)




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## Thorlifter (Sep 30, 2008)

I can't even imagine the range and power of the emotions he felt.


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## syscom3 (Sep 30, 2008)

Excellent find!


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## evangilder (Sep 30, 2008)

Neat find.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Sep 30, 2008)

Very good post, thanks.


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## CharlesBronson (Sep 30, 2008)

I know, I know, every ww2 vet deserves respect, but honestly everytime I think in the japanese war the only image that comes to my mind is the war crimes comitted in China and later against the allied POWs and civilians.

I have no simpathy for the japs, not even the olders ones.


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## lesofprimus (Oct 1, 2008)

DO NOT USE THE TERM JAPS BRONSON, ITS DEROGATORY.....


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## Wurger (Oct 1, 2008)

Yes I agree with Les.I think the expression has to be replaced here as soon as possible.


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## Heinz (Oct 1, 2008)

That attitude breeds a vicous circle and to me makes no sense what so ever. 

However if that is your opinion so be it.


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 1, 2008)

Sorry no I had no idea a short term for japanese was derogatory  .


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## Shinpachi (Oct 1, 2008)

I was going to pass this thread because I heard and read a lot of such miracle survival stories from my father's generation...

Everybody has freedom of speech but I don't want to be called 'Jap' at least. It reminds me of the worst days in the past even if the word might be almost obsolete today.

Thanks everybody for taking care with the word.
I am glad to know such warm consideration from you all at least.

Hi, Charles.
Please call me Shinpachi.
I know you are a good man who loves your own country and want to make friends!


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## CharlesBronson (Oct 1, 2008)

Usually we are called argies and sometime ago I tought it was derogatory until somebody explains that is not, honestly I believe till now that the same could be said about the word "jap". My apologies again for causing some disconfort.



> know you are a good man who loves your own country



Yes I am.



> and want to make friends!



Not necessarily, I want to share information and opinions, if that bring some friends better but is not the main objetive.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 2, 2008)

Thank you, Charles


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## seesul (Oct 2, 2008)

schinpachi,

I´m just curious, did anyone from your family serve in the army during WW2 and if so, in which unit?


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## Shinpachi (Oct 2, 2008)

Hi, seesul.

My father was drafted for Army in 1944 and stayed in a regiment of Chiba Prefecture till the end of war but I do not know which unit.

My uncle served Navy as a teenager volunteer.

My mother's father stayed in the 2nd Army Devision.
His regiment joined Coup d'etat in Tokyo on February 26, 1936.
After the incident, he and his regiment were sent to the front line in China as a penalty. They were not allowed to return home alive.

One night, his regiment was ordered to separate into two units and to attack the enemy from both sides. After several hours of searching, they found the target - a Chinese military unit on an expected position in the darkness.

My Grandfather and his unit started to shoot them.
The battle never ended so soon. It continued unitl almost soldiers died for hours. He was shot to die.

The opponent was NOT Chinese but the other unit of the same regiment!


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## seesul (Oct 2, 2008)

thank you for your answer shinpachi!
Man, what a story...strange that both sides didn´t recognize they fought against their own army...I´m sorry for a nonsesical loss of your grandfather...


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## Shinpachi (Oct 2, 2008)

My mother was seven years old when her father died in 1937.
She said the funeral was managed by the Army and gorgeous.
She had been missing her father until she herself went away in 1980.

Thank you seesul for your good question.
I had a good chance to recall my family history


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## seesul (Oct 3, 2008)

Yes, there are 2 things that must be very depresing for the kids- either when its parents get divorced or when one of the parents passes away...

Shinpachi, another question, if you don´t mind...
Don´t you have links on the air museums in Japan? I mean the museums with WW2 birds...Is there any Zero displayed in any museum in Japan?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 3, 2008)

Shinpachi said:


> Hi, seesul.
> 
> My father was drafted for Army in 1944 and stayed in a regiment of Chiba Prefecture till the end of war but I do not know which unit.
> 
> ...



Wow thanks for sharing.


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## evangilder (Oct 3, 2008)

I have heard there are a couple of Zeros that are allegedly flyable in Japan, but that the Japanese Constitution still disallows them to fly. Are there flyable Zeros there that you have heard of?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 3, 2008)

Why are they not allowed to fly under the Japanese constitution? Even the Germans allow WW2 German aircraft to fly in Germany.


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## ToughOmbre (Oct 3, 2008)

"Rare return to Iwo Jima" for sure since I believe that only 217 Japanese soldiers survived to be captured out of the 21,000 or so original defenders.

TO


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## Shinpachi (Oct 3, 2008)

The Harada Collection - The most famous zero fighter museum
ttp://www.car-airmuseum.com/

Mr. Harada restored three zero fighters so far with technical supports from Mitsubishi Heavy Industry in Nagoya.
They are said all flyable. Two are displayed at his own private museum nearby Lake Kawaguchi located in the north of Mt.Fuji.
Remaining one is displayed at Yusyukan museum located inside Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
ttp://www.yasukuni.jp/~yusyukan/index.html

Other restored Zero fighters in Japan

National Museum of Nature and Science (Tokyo)
ttp://www.kahaku.go.jp/
Other reference site
ttp://blog.livedoor.jp/nakataka829/archives/50398586.html
htp://www.php.co.jp/blog/rekishi

Japan Air Self Defence Forces, Hamamatsu Air Park(Hamamatsu, Shizuoka)
ttp://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/airpark/
Photos:
http://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/airpark/kannai_syoukai/tenji_koukuuki/pict_zentai_2.jpg
http://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/airpark/kannai_syoukai/tenji_koukuuki/pict_zentai_1.jpg
http://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/airpark/kannai_syoukai/tenji_koukuuki/pict_zero.jpg

Kure Yamato Museum(Kure, Hiroshima)
YAMATO MUSEUM - Exhibition-Large Objects Exhibition Room

Japan Maritime Self Defence Forces, Kanoya Airbase, Historical Records Hall (kanoya, Kagoshima)
ttp://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/kanoya/sryou/msdf-ks/index.html

Onrakukan (meaning Music Hall - a museum of antique instruments in Fukuoka)
http://www.onrakukan.com/zero.htm


Replicas(made for movies)
US Marine, Iwakuni Base
ttp://waiwai.map.yahoo.co.jp/spot?sid=u7kXeEiGh9SwWuAentjVZvjSI26kRBDoNh60KhFTZEs-

Additional Reference Site
a6501


Movie "Human Wings"
ttp://www.warbirds.jp/32/eiga.htm

************
Hi Adler.
As you wonder, the Japanese Constitution never prohibit flying Zero.
It's a matter of costs and risk.

Please continue the "Iwo-jima" topic.
Thank you everybody for sharing your precious time for Zero


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## seesul (Oct 3, 2008)

thx shinpachi, sorry we are off topic, but we don´t have too many chances to speak to someone from Japan. Think you´re the only one here...


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## Messy1 (Oct 3, 2008)

That's a powerful story! Makes you feel sorry for the common foot soldier of Japan. Many of them were treated no better than criminals by some of the higher ups. I saw a similar story on the Military Channel called Return to Iwo Jima. maybe a dozen or so american vets were taken back and explored Iwo Jima. Cannot begin to imagine the wall of emotion they experienced.


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## Messy1 (Oct 3, 2008)

Shinpachi, thank you for your history on your family. It is definitely interesting to hear stories from different cultures and their experiences.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 4, 2008)

You are welcome Messy1.

Here is also a testimony by a survivor from the Battle of Iwo-jima which his grandson summarized recently.
"My Grandfather's Battle Experience on Iwo-jima"


On March 11, 1945, he was ordered to attack enemy tank as a human bomb and failed because another soldier had attacked first.
He was burried in a cave where he jumped in, dag the soil to get out and lost other all 7 friends on the way trying to back to his base located in the northern caves.

He was shot his left arm and chest and heavily wounded but still tried to escape with no water, foods to somewhere on such a small island for 4 days. He was finally found by the enemy again, so he stood up and beat his chest to show 'Shoot me!'.
The enemy shook his head.

His survival was perfectly miracle but the miracle was brought by the same humanbeings - American soldiers.
Such difference of sense of values beween west and east were many reported by our former soldiers soon after the war.

We learned much from the war but the sacrifice was more enormous.


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## Messy1 (Oct 4, 2008)

Shinpachi, do Japanese soldiers still feel it was their duty to defend and fight for Japan, and is there any animosity towards the military for wasting so many lives, and putting so many families through needless suffering?
Also, just for discussion, do you think the military would treat soldiers differently today than in WW2?


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## Shinpachi (Oct 4, 2008)

Messy1 said:


> Shinpachi, do Japanese soldiers still feel it was their duty to defend and fight for Japan, and is there any animosity towards the military for wasting so many lives, and putting so many families through needless suffering?
> Also, just for discussion, do you think the military would treat soldiers differently today than in WW2?



I have fewer chances to talk to older people who experienced the war year by year.

In case of my father, he said "Army life was HELL!" but I believe he still believes it was his duty to defend and fight for Japan. If he was ordered to be a human bomb, he would not hesitate to do so because it was order and he was taught to die for the country from his childhood. No one wants to die though.

My parents were denying the former Japanese military not necessarily because they were treated severely but Japan had been defeated. The Government and the Military then told many lies and betrayed the people.

There was no justice and no chances of victory from the beginning.

I don't think that they had animosity toward the former military but if they should have had any animosity, it would have been the same one as present Japanese have toward the present Government. We don't trust them so easily as we had bitter experience before. 

Yes, I believe JSDF treats members(i.e. soldiers) differently today than in WW2. I hear their system is more democratic and no Corporal punishments any longer.

JSDF Life(thru translation tool)


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## Messy1 (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks for the reply Shinpachi. Very interesting stuff to me.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 6, 2008)

You are welcome, Messy1.

Thank you for giving me a good chance to tell my opinion.
I always want my country, people,culture and history to be understood more in the world.


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## Messy1 (Oct 6, 2008)

This forum is a great way to exchange opinions and history. Our two cultures are very different in some respects, but also very similar in others this day and age. Love to learn more, keep it coming!


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## seesul (Oct 6, 2008)

Shinpachi said:


> You are welcome, Messy1.
> 
> Thank you for giving me a good chance to tell my opinion.
> I always want my country, people,culture and history to be understood more in the world.



I thank you too Shinpachi!
This is what the forum is for...to listen the opinions, to learn and to create your own opinion...
Thanks again!


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## Shinpachi (Oct 6, 2008)

Internet may save the world.

Thank you Messy1 and seesul for your thoughtful words!


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## Messy1 (Oct 6, 2008)

I have added you to my buddy list Shinpachi. I am interested to read your thoughts and opinions in the future.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 6, 2008)

Thank you Messy1.
I also added you to my buddy list.

By the way, our local war history research group used to discuss which name is correct, Iwo-jima or Iwo-to.

Results:
We were familiar with "Iwo-to" in the wartime especially but historically both are correct. The "Iwo-jima" came from our old official map issued in Meiji Era(1868-1912) but the native islanders and IJA were used to "Iwo-to"


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## Shinpachi (Oct 6, 2008)

This will be my final post on Iwo-jima topic.

About Number of Japanese POWs(or survivors)
It is often discussed that there are two numbers, about 200 and 1,023. Which is correct?
Details are about 200 POWs by the end of March 1945 and 1,023 by the end of war(around August 15, 1945).

This is my understanding about the two numbers mystery8)


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## Messy1 (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks again!


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## Shinpachi (Oct 6, 2008)

Now I must add -

Thank you v2 for providing us with such a nice thread like this for the meaningful exchange of opinions!


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