was a haiku
poet, diplomat
, and General
(Taisho) of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He is best known for being overall commander of the Japanese
garrison during the Battle of Iwo Jima
.
Even before the battle, General Kuribayashi insisted upon sharing the hardships of his men. He also refused to permit banzai charge
s, which he regarded as an unnecessary waste of his men's lives. Although the United States military had expected to capture Iwo Jima
in 5 days, Kuribayashi and his men waged guerilla warfare against them for 36 days.
All officers of Chichi Jima|Chichi Jima, goodbye from Iwo
"We are still fighting", Kuribayashi radioed on March 22. "The strength under my command is now about four hundred. Tanks are attacking us. The enemy suggested we surrender through loudspeaker, but our officers and men just laughed and paid no attention."
: James Bradley (author)|James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers|Flags of Our Fathers, p.245.
The battle is approaching its end. Since the enemy’s landing, even the gods would weep at the bravery of the officers and men under my command. ... [My] men died one by one, and I regret very much that I have allowed the enemy to occupy a piece of Japanese territory.