Japanese holdout
Encyclopedia
Japanese holdouts or stragglers were Japan
ese soldiers in the Pacific Theatre
who, after the August 1945 surrender of Japan
that marked the end of World War II
, either adamantly doubted the veracity of the formal surrender due to strong dogmatic or militaristic principles, or were not aware of it because communications were cut off by the United States
island hopping
campaign.
They would continue to fight occupying forces, and later, local police, years after the war was over. Other Japanese holdouts volunteered in the Vietnamese Independence war
and Indonesian Independence war to free Asian colonies from Western control, which was one of Imperial Japan's predicated goals during World War Two.
Intelligence officer Hiroo Onoda
, who surrendered on Lubang Island
in the Philippines
in March 1974, and Teruo Nakamura
, who surrendered on the Indonesia
n island of Morotai
in December 1974, were the last confirmed holdouts.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese soldiers in the Pacific Theatre
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
who, after the August 1945 surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
that marked the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, either adamantly doubted the veracity of the formal surrender due to strong dogmatic or militaristic principles, or were not aware of it because communications were cut off by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
island hopping
Leapfrogging (military)
Leapfrogging was a military strategy employed by the Allies in the Pacific War against Japan and the Axis powers during World War II...
campaign.
They would continue to fight occupying forces, and later, local police, years after the war was over. Other Japanese holdouts volunteered in the Vietnamese Independence war
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
and Indonesian Independence war to free Asian colonies from Western control, which was one of Imperial Japan's predicated goals during World War Two.
Intelligence officer Hiroo Onoda
Hiroo Onoda
is a former Japanese army intelligence officer who fought in World War II and did not surrender until 1974, having spent almost 30 years holding out in the Philippines. He held the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
, who surrendered on Lubang Island
Lubang Island
Lubang Island is the largest island in the Lubang Group of Islands, an archipelago which lies to the northwest of the northern end of Mindoro in the Philippines. The Lubang Islands are about southwest of Manila. There are seven islands in the group, The island is divided into two municipalities. ...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in March 1974, and Teruo Nakamura
Teruo Nakamura
Private was a Taiwan-born soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army who fought for Japan in World War II and did not surrender until 1974.His name in his native language appears to have been Attun Palalin...
, who surrendered on the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n island of Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
in December 1974, were the last confirmed holdouts.
1945-1949
- Captain Sakae ŌbaSakae Obawas an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He served in both China and in the Pacific campaign. After Japanese forces were defeated in the Battle of Saipan, he led a group of soldiers and civilians deep into the jungle to evade capture by Allied forces...
, who led his company of 46 men in guerrilla actions against US troops following the Battle of SaipanBattle of SaipanThe Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
, did not surrender until December 1, 1945, three months after the war ended. - Major Sei Igawa (井川省) volunteered as a Viet MinhViet MinhViệt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
staff officer and commander. Igawa was killed in a battle with French troops in 1946. - Navy Lieutenant Hideo Horiuchi (堀内秀雄) volunteered as an Indonesian volunteer Army Lieutenant Colonel. Horiuchi was arrested by Dutch troops on August 13, 1946, while his wounds were treated in a village after the battle with Dutch troops.
- Lieutenant Ei Yamaguchi and his 33 soldiers emerged on PeleliuPeleliuPeleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
in late March 1947, attacking the Marine detachment stationed on the island. Reinforcements were sent in, along with a Japanese admiral who was able to convince them the war was over. They finally surrendered in April 1947. - On May 12, 1948, the AP reported that two Japanese soldiers surrendered to civilian policemen in Guam. The policemen were Thomas F. Lee of Pawtucket, Rhode Island and Hall Willis of Brainerd, Minnesota.
- Yamakage Kufuku and Matsudo Linsoki, two IJNImperial Japanese NavyThe Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
machine gunners, surrendered on Iwo JimaIwo JimaIwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
on January 6, 1949.
1950s
- Major Takuo Ishii (石井卓雄) continued to fight as a Viet MinhViet MinhViệt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
adviser, staff officer and commander. Ishii was killed in a battle with French troops on May 20, 1950. - The AP reported on June 27, 1951 that a Japanese petty officer who had surrendered on AnatahanAnatahanAnatahan is one of the most active volcanoes of the Northern Mariana Islands. The island of Anatahan is 9 kilometers long and has a land area of . Formerly inhabited, it now has no population because of the always-present danger of volcanic eruptions...
Island in the Marianas two weeks before said that there were 18 other holdouts there. A U.S. Navy plane that had subsequently flown over the island indeed spotted eight or nine Japanese soldiers on a beach waving white flags. However, the Navy remained cautious as the Japanese petty officer had warned that the soldiers were "well-armed and that some of them threatened to kill anyone who tried to give himself up. The leaders profess to believe that the war is still on." The navy dispatched a sea-going tug, the Cocopa, to the island in hopes of picking up some or all of the soldiers without incident. The Japanese occupation of the island inspired a movieAnatahan (film), also known as The Saga of Anatahan, is a 1953 black-and-white Japanese film war drama directed by Josef von Sternberg.It was the final work directed by noted Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg...
. - Private 1st Class Yūichi Akatsu continued to fight on Lubang IslandLubang IslandLubang Island is the largest island in the Lubang Group of Islands, an archipelago which lies to the northwest of the northern end of Mindoro in the Philippines. The Lubang Islands are about southwest of Manila. There are seven islands in the group, The island is divided into two municipalities. ...
from 1944 until surrendering in the Philippine village of LoocLooc, Occidental MindoroLooc is a 5th class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 9,132 people in 2,014 households.The municipality encompasses the eastern half of Lubang Island.-Barangays:...
on March 1950. - Corporal Shōichi Shimada (島田庄一) continued to fight on Lubang until he was killed in a clash with Philippine soldiers in May 1954.
- Lieutenant Kikuo Tanimoto volunteered as a Viet MinhViet MinhViệt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
adviser and commander. Tanimoto returned to Japan in 1954, after Vietnamese Independence.
1960s
- Private Bunzō Minagawa held out from 1944 until May 1960 on GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. - Sergeant Tadashi ItōTadashi ItōMasashi Itō was a machine-gunner and sergeant in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War. He was among the last hold-outs to surrender after the war ended.-War years and post war survival:...
, Minagawa's superior, surrendered days later, May 23, 1960 on Guam.
1970s
- Corporal Shoichi YokoiShoichi Yokoiwas a Japanese sergeant in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War. He was among the last three Japanese hold-outs to surrender after the end of hostilities in 1945.-Early life:Yokoi was born in Saori, Aichi Prefecture...
, who served under Ito, was captured on GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
in January 1972. - Private 1st Class Kinshichi Kozuka held out with Onoda for 28 years until he was killed in a gunbattle with Philippine police in October 1972.
- Lieutenant Hiroo OnodaHiroo Onodais a former Japanese army intelligence officer who fought in World War II and did not surrender until 1974, having spent almost 30 years holding out in the Philippines. He held the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
, who held out from December 1944 until March 1974 on Lubang Island in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
with Akatsu, Shimada and Kozuka, was relieved of duty by his former commanding officer in March 1974. - Private Teruo NakamuraTeruo NakamuraPrivate was a Taiwan-born soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army who fought for Japan in World War II and did not surrender until 1974.His name in his native language appears to have been Attun Palalin...
(AmisAmisAmis may refer to:* Amis people , a tribe of Taiwanese aborigines* Amis language, an indigenous language of Taiwan* AMIS , an Internet service provider in Slovenia and CroatiaThe acronym AMIS may stand for:...
: Attun Palalin) was discovered by the Indonesian Air ForceIndonesian Air ForceThe Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
on MorotaiMorotaiMorotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
, and surrendered to a search patrol on December 18, 1974.
1980s
- Agence France Presse has reported in April 1980 that Captain Fumio Nakahara held out until then at Mount HalconMount HalconMount Halcon is a mountain located in the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Its height of 2,586 meters makes it the 18th highest peak in the Philippines. Its slopes has earned it the title to be the most difficult mountain to climb in the country.Mt. Halcon is home to the indigenous Alangan...
in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. A search team headed by his former comrade-in-arms Isao Mayazawa believed to have discovered him. However, no evidence that a Japanese soldier survived has been documented.
In popular culture
- One episode of the American TV comedy Gilligan's IslandGilligan's IslandGilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
revolves around a Japanese sailor and his mini-sub; the Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.Alan Hale, Jr.Alan Hale, Jr. was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Skipper on the popular sitcom Gilligan's Island. Hale was the lookalike son of popular supporting film actor Alan Hale, Sr....
) remarks how every few years, a Japanese is found who does not know the war is over. - One episode of the American TV comedy Northern ExposureNorthern ExposureNorthern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
features a Japanese businessman who pretends to be a holdout until his business textbooks are discovered. - An episode of The Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
finds Col. Steve AustinSteve Austin (fictional character)Steve Austin is a fictional character created by Martin Caidin for his 1972 novel, Cyborg, who later became a 1970s television icon as portrayed by Lee Majors in the 1974-1978 series The Six Million Dollar Man.-Background:...
being held prisoner by a Japanese holdout. Steve uses his Polaroid camera to take an instant photo of his captor, in an attempt to prove to him how far the world has moved on, and notes the Made in JapanCountry of originCountry of origin , is the country of manufacture, production, or growth where an article or product comes from...
label on the device. - The second episode of 1979 TV series Salvage 1Salvage 1Salvage 1 is an American science fiction series that aired for 16 episodes on ABC during 1979. The pilot film, Salvage, aired on January 20, 1979 to high ratings....
, Shangri-la Lil, centers on the accidental discovery (and reintegration) of a Japanese holdout. - The 19801980 in film- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
film The Last Flight of Noah's ArkThe Last Flight of Noah's ArkThe Last Flight Of Noah's Ark is a Disney film released by Buena Vista Distribution on June 25, 1980. The film stars Elliott Gould, Geneviève Bujold and Ricky Schroder.-Plot:...
featured two elderly Japanese soldiers who have lived on an uncharted island for 35 years. - The album Nude (1981) by the British rock band CamelCamel (band)Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in 1971. An important group in the Canterbury scene, they have been releasing studio and live recordings steadily, with considerable success, since their formation.-1970s:...
reworked the story, with a twist–after returning to 'civilisation', the soldier was so appalled by what society had become that he later disappeared, presumed headed back to the peace and serenity of his island. - The film Savage BeachSavage BeachSavage Beach is a 1989 action adventure film starring Dona Speir, Hope Marie Carlton, John Aprea and Bruce Penhall. It was written and directed by Andy Sidaris.-External links:*...
(1989) featured a Japanese holdout who resided on a remote island which was used to stash gold bars from the Philippines. - The action thriller Shima (2007)Shima (2007)Shima is a 2007 film from Uzbekistan.- Plot :At the end of the Second World War, imperial Japanese fanaticism seals the fate of an island's inhabitants and its garrison, through a massacre, interrupting the love between a soldier and a fisherman's daughter...
explores the psychological trauma faced by an officer of the Imperial Army. The film is loosely based on the life on Lieutenant Hiroo Onada and other soldiers involved in Japanese holdouts. - The fictional Asian island nation of Panau in the video game Just Cause 2Just Cause 2Just Cause 2 is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Avalanche Studios, published by Eidos Interactive, and distributed by Square Enix. It is the sequel to the 2006 video game Just Cause....
includes an island occupied entirely by Japanese holdouts. These men, several of them centenarians by now, have built a giant tower which emits an electromagnetic pulseElectromagnetic pulseAn electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
, disabling any approaching aircraft and disrupting radio communications, so they never got the news that the war was over. - The novel The Seventh Carrier, written by Peter Albano in 1983, describes a situation where a fictitious Yamato class battleshipYamato class battleshipThe were battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed and operated during World War II. Displacing at full load, the vessels were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. The class carried the largest naval artillery ever fitted to a warship, nine naval...
-turned aircraft carrier named Yonaga and its crew were trapped in a secret base in SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
's Chukchi PeninsulaChukchi PeninsulaThe Chukchi Peninsula, Chukotka Peninsula or Chukotski Peninsula , at about 66° N 172° W, is the northeastern extremity of Asia. Its eastern end is at Cape Dezhnev near the village of Uelen. It is bordered by the Chukchi Sea to the north, the Bering Sea to the south, and the Bering Strait to the...
just before Operation Z was to be launched in 1941. Trapped there until 1983, the remaining crew escaped with their ship and launched an attack on the forty-second anniversary of their comrades' attack, causing considerable damage even with antiquated aircraft and bombs against then-modern attack helicopters and jet fighters. - The children's novel Kensuke's KingdomKensuke's KingdomKensuke's Kingdom is a children's novel by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman. It was first published in 1999 by Egmont UK, since when many more editions have been released by various other publishers, such as Scholastic.-Plot summary:...
by Michael MorpurgoMichael MorpurgoMichael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
is set in the 1990s and centres on the friendship between a Japanese straggler and a lost British boy.
See also
- Volunteer Fighting Corps
- Kalibata Heroes CemeteryKalibata Heroes CemeteryKalibata Heroes Cemetery , in Kalibata, South Jakarta is a military cemetery in Indonesia. More than 7000 people who are military casualties and veterans from Indonesian War of Independence were buried...
- Hermann DetznerHermann DetznerHermann Philipp Detzner was an officer in the German colonial security force in Kamerun and German New Guinea, as well as a surveyor, an engineer, an adventurer, and a writer....
- WerwolfWerwolfWerwolf was the name given to a Nazi plan, which began development in 1944, to create a commando force which would operate behind enemy lines as the Allies advanced through Germany itself. Werwolf remained entirely ineffectual as a combat force, however, and in practical terms, its value as...
- Forest BrothersForest BrothersThe Forest Brothers were Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian partisans who waged a guerrilla war against Soviet rule during the Soviet invasion and occupation of the three Baltic states during, and after, World War II...
- Operation HaudegenOperation HaudegenOperation Haudegen was the name of a German operation during the Second World War to establish meteorological stations on Svalbard....
- Ishinosuke UwanoIshinosuke Uwanois a former soldier in the Japanese Imperial Army who came to media prominence in April 2006 after it was found that he had been living in Ukraine for six decades after the end of World War II...
, a Japanese soldier missing and eventually declared dead in 2000 who was discovered in Ukraine in 2006.
External links
- http://www.wanpela.com/holdouts/
- http://faroutliers.wordpress.com/2005/05/27/two-more-japanese-holdouts-in-the-philippines/