Takijiro Onishi

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Takijiro Onishi

was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

The origins of the Imperial Japanese Navy trace back to early interactions with nations on the Asia, beginning in the early history of Japan#Feudal Japan and reaching a peak of activity during the 16th and 17th centuries at a time of cultural diffusion with European power during the Age of Discovery....
during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, who came to be known as the father of the kamikaze
Kamikaze

The were suicide attacks by military aviation from the Empire of Japan against Allies Of World War II shipping, in the closing stages of the Pacific War of World War II, to destroy as many warships as possible....
.

hi was a native of Ashida village (part of present day Tamba city

Tamba, Hyogo

is a cities of Japan located in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.The city was formed on November 1, 2004 from the merger of all six towns of the former Hikami District, Hyogo: Aogaki, Hyogo, Ichijima, Hyogo, Kaibara, Hyogo, Kasuga, Hyogo, Sannan, Hyogo and Hikami, Hyogo....
) in Hyogo prefecture

Hyogo Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Kinki region on Honshu island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo....
. He graduated from the 40th class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy, ranked 20 out of a class of 144 cadets in 1912. He served his midshipman

Midshipman

A midshipman is a subordinate officer, an officer cadet, or alternatively a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the navy of several English-speaking countries....
term on the cruiser

Cruiser

A cruiser is a large type of warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. The first cruisers were intended for individual raiding and protection missions on the seas....
Soya

Japanese cruiser Soya

was a protected cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, acquired as a prize of war during the Russo-Japanese War from the Imperial Russian Navy, where it was originally known as the ....
and battlecruiser

Battlecruiser

Battlecruisers were large warships in the first half of the 20th century that were first introduced by the Royal Navy. The battlecruiser was developed as the successor to the armoured cruisers, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleships....
Tsukuba

Japanese cruiser Tsukuba

was the lead ship of the two-ship Tsukuba class cruiser of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Tsukuba was named after Mount Tsukuba located in Ibaraki prefecture north of Tokyo....
and after his commissioning as ensign

Ensign (rank)

Ensign is a junior rank of Officer #Commissioned officers in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign, the rank itself acquired the name....
was assigned to the battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large, heavily armour warship with a main artillery battery consisting of the largest calibre of guns. Battleships were larger, better armed, and better armored than cruisers and destroyers....
Kawachi

Japanese battleship Kawachi

The was the lead ship of the two ship Kawachi class battleship of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was built at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and launched in 1910....
.

As a sub-lieutenant, he was assigned to the seaplane tender

Seaplane tender

A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the World War I....
Wakamiya

Japanese seaplane carrier Wakamiya

Wakamiya was a seaplane carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the first Japanese aircraft carrier. She was converted from a transport ship into a seaplane carrier and commissioned in August 1914....
, and helped develop the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, the organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War....
in its early stages.

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Biography

Early career

Onishi was a native of Ashida village (part of present day Tamba city

Tamba, Hyogo

Hyogo Prefecture

Midshipman

A midshipman is a subordinate officer, an officer cadet, or alternatively a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the navy of several English-speaking countries....
term on the cruiser

Cruiser

Japanese cruiser Soya

Battlecruiser

Japanese cruiser Tsukuba

Ensign (rank)

Battleship

Japanese battleship Kawachi

Seaplane tender

A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the World War I....
Wakamiya

Japanese seaplane carrier Wakamiya

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

England

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
in 1918, to learn more about the development of combat aircraft and their use in World War I

World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
.

After his return, he was promoted to lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police commissioned officer military rank.Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure....
, and assigned to the Yokosuka Naval Air Goup from 1918-1920. He continued to serve in various staff positions related to naval aviation

Naval aviation

Naval Aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies. Maritime Aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of land based forces such as RAF Coastal Command or United States Coast Guard....
through the 1920s, and was also a flight instructor at Kasumigaura.

After his promotion to lieutenant commander

Lieutenant Commander

Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer military rank in many navy superior to a Lieutenant and subordinate to a Commander. The corresponding rank in most army, and air forces is Major, and in the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth of Nations air forces is Squadron Leader also....
, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a navy force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations....
Hosho

Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho

Hosho became the first flat-deck aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1921, and was the first purpose-designed aircraft carrier in the world to be commissioned....
on December 10, 1928 as commander of the carrier air wing. He became executive officer

Executive officer

While executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an organization, the exact meaning of the role is variable, depending on the organization....
of the Kaga

Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga

Kaga was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, originally intended as a Tosa class battleship fast battleship. She took part in the battle of Pearl Harbor and was sunk at the Battle of Midway on 4 June 1942....
on November 15, 1932. He was promoted to rear admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain , and below that of a Vice Admiral. It is the lowest form of Admiral....
on November 15, 1939 and chief of staff of the IJN 11th Air Fleet.

World War II

Early in the Pacific Campaign

Pacific Campaign

Pacific Campaign may refer to:* Pacific Campaign , fighting between the Allies of World War I and the German Empire in the Pacific region during World War I...
of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
he was the head of the Naval Aviation Development Division in the Ministry of Munitions and was responsible for some of the technical details of the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Empire of Japan Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, later resulting in the United States becoming militarily involved in World War II....
in 1941, under command of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Isoroku Yamamoto

Admiral of the Fleet was the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II, a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and a student of the U.S....
. Onishi himself opposed the attack on the grounds that it would lead to a full-scale war with a foe that had the resources to overpower Japan into an unconditional surrender

Unconditional surrender

Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, except for those provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological pressure on a weaker adversary....
. Nevertheless, his IJN 11th Air Fleet had a critical role in the operations, attacking American forces in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
from bases in Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
.

On May 1, 1943, he was promoted to vice admiral

Vice Admiral

Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. A Vice Admiral is typically senior to a Rear Admiral and junior to an Admiral....
. As an admiral, Onishi was also very interested in psychology

Psychology

Psychology is an academic and applied science discipline involving the science study of human mental functions and behavior. Occasionally it also relies on symbolic hermeneutics and critical theory, although these traditions are less pronounced than in other social sciences such as sociology....
, particularly as related to soldier's reactions under critical circumstances (in 1938 he published a book on this subject: "War Ethics of the Imperial Navy").

After October 1944, Onishi became the commander of the First Air Fleet

1st Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy at the beginning of World War II contained the world's largest carrier fleet. At the centre, was the 1st Air Fleet which was a grouping of naval aircraft and aircraft carriers....
in the northern Philippines. While he is commonly credited with devising the tactic of suicide air attacks (kamikaze
Kamikaze

The were suicide attacks by military aviation from the Empire of Japan against Allies Of World War II shipping, in the closing stages of the Pacific War of World War II, to destroy as many warships as possible....
) on Allied aircraft carriers, the project in fact predated his tenure and was one that he originally opposed as 'heresy'. Following the loss of the Mariana Islands

Mariana Islands

The Mariana Islands are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east....
, and facing orders to destroy the US Navy's aircraft carrier fleet in advance of "Operation Sho", Onishi changed his position and ordered the attacks.

In a meeting at Mabalacat Airfield

Clark Air Base

Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila....
(known to the U.S. military as Clark Air Base) near Manila

Manila

The 'City of Manila' , or simply 'Manila', is the Capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila....
on October 19, 1944, Onishi, visiting the 201st Navy Flying Corps headquarters, said: "In my opinion, there is only one way of assuring that our meager strength will be effective to a maximum degree. That is to organize suicide attack units composed of A6M Zero

A6M Zero

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a lightweight fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The origin of its official designation was that "A" signified a carrier-based fighter, "6" for the sixth such model built for the Imperial Navy, and "M" for the manufacturer, Mitsubishi....
fighters armed with 250-kilogram bombs, with each plane to crash-dive into an enemy carrier... What do you think?"

After his recall to Tokyo

Tokyo

, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people....
, Onishi became Vice Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff

Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff

The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo....
on May 19, 1945.

Onishi committed ritual suicide (seppuku
Seppuku

is a form of Japanese Suicide#Ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai honor code, seppuku was used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, as a form of capital punishment for samurai who have committed serious offenses, and for reason...
) in his quarters on August 16, 1945, following the unconditional surrender of Japan

Surrender of Japan

The surrender of Japan in August 1945 brought World War II to a close. On August 10, 1945, after the Soviet Union Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the United States atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan's leaders at the Supreme War Council decided, in principle, to accept the terms the Allies of World War II had set down...
at the end of World War II. His suicide note apologized to the approximately 4000 pilots whom he had sent to their deaths, and urged all young civilians who had survived the war to work towards the rebuilding of Japan and peace among nations. He also stated that he would offer his death as a penance to the kamikaze pilots and their families. Accordingly, he did not use a kaishakunin
Kaishakunin

A kaishakunin is an appointed second whose duty is to behead one who has committed seppuku, Japanese ritual suicide, at the moment of agony....
(second), and died of self-inflicted injuries over a period of 15 hours.

The sword with which Onishi committed suicide is kept at the Yushukan Museum

Yushukan

The is a Japanese military and war museum located within Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture. As a museum maintained by the shrine, which is dedicated to the souls of soldiers who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the museum contains various artifacts and documents concerning Japanese war casualties and military acti...
next to Yasukuni Shrine

Yasukuni Shrine

is a Shinto Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the kami of soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan....
in Tokyo. Onishi's ashes were divided between two graves – one at the Zen

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Ch?n. Ch?n is itself derived from the Sanskrit Dhyana, which means "meditation" ....
temple of Soji-ji

Soji-ji

Soji-ji is one of two main temples of the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. The temple was originally founded in 740 in Noto, but was totally destroyed by fire in 1898....
in Tsurumi

Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama

is one of the Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It includes the former village of Namamugi, site of the Namamugi Incident of 1862....
, Yokohama

Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kanto region of the main island of Honshu. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area....
, and the other at the public cemetery in former Ashida village in Hyogo prefecture.

Takijiro Onishi

Biography

Early career

World War II

See also

Books

External links