Lost Lives

In “Japan’s Kamikaze Pilot’s and Contemporary Suicide Bombers: War and Terror”, Yuki Tanaka compares the mentality of the kamikaze suicide bombers, during World Ward II, with terrorist suicide bombers of today, noting the differences and the similarities of both.  While both forms of suicide attacks are considered to be “madness,” Tanaka reminds us that other forms of “strategic bombings” directed by countries like the U.S. and Britain, continue to kill thousand of innocence civilians and should no longer be regarded as “legitimate military operations,” but should also be considered acts of terrorism (Tanaka, 2008, p. 300).

Tanaka’s purpose is to examine the “psychological themes” and other factors that emerge when comparing these two groups of young men. The examples he gives are effective. Tanaka gives a face to the kamikaze pilots by explaining that most of these young men did not come from the “Air Force Cadet Officer System in the Japanese Imperial Navy and Army Forces, which recruited university and college students” (p. 294).  Rather these young men came from junior flight training schools and were non-commissioned officers. According to Tanaka, the reasons for their involvement and sacrifice in kamikaze missions were uncovered in the private records of these young men and show that the basis for agreeing to suicide missions comprised of five reasons.  These included the rationalization of the importance of giving one’s life for the defence of country.  This did not necessarily mean nationalism but place of family town.  Showing honour and duty to parents, particularly mothers, was considered to be the most important reason in accepting a suicidal mission. Other reasons included the solidarity and friendships formed among the pilots, a strong and sincere sense of responsibility and duty, the contempt for cowardice, and no sense of hatred for the enemy (p. 296, p. 297).  Tanaka explains that the similarities between the kamikaze pilots and contemporary suicide bombers include: “the imbalance of technological power between them and their foes, in the conceptions of those who dispatch them and in the mentality of those who sacrifice their lives” (p. 298).

While Tanaka readily admits that there is less information available on the psychological and ideology of the terrorist bomber, he effectively describes the Palestinian bomber, who differs from the kamikaze pilot. Young Palestinians see no hope in the future. “They talked about having no hope, no jobs, and no dignity, and they each nodded when one of them said they were all suicide bombers in waiting” (Friedman 2008, p. 177). Tanaka states that the Palestinians are a people whose lives are controlled by the Israeli.  For a nation to have witness so much torture, death and degradation, terminating one’s life does not seem so frightening because there is no hope.  “It is a natural psychological extension for one who no longer finds meaning in his or her own life to slight the lives of others as well” (Tanaka 2008 p. 299). Religion may also be a way for suicide bombers to justify killing their enemies and self-sacrifice (p. 299). Tanaka reveals that a major difference between the kamikaze pilot and the suicide bomber is that the terrorist bombing “is generally planned and authorized by organizations outside a state structure” (Tanaka 2008 p. 298). The kamikaze suicide missions were encouraged, put into action and legitimized by the military.   

The gaol of the kamikaze pilot and the suicide bomber is similar.  The killings are more “ritualistic” because the victims, whether civilians or the military, are unimportant to the pilot or bomber (p. 298). The killings are intended to frighten and terrorize their enemies so dramatically that it will change the course of action of their enemy.  For the Palestinian suicide bomber, the belief is that the enemy will leave their country.  For the kamikaze pilot, it was believed that their actions would cause the enemy to make concussions and end the war. 

Tanaka’s last paragraph is the most powerful because it reveals what he really feels about war and violent conflict. He makes the point that we cannot look at kamikaze-style or suicide attacks as being committed by fanatics without examining the indiscriminate bombing of civilians by powerful military nations.  As he suggests, these are two kinds of terrorism that must be addressed.

Do you consider bombings of cities by the Americans acts of terrorism?

Friedman, T. (2008). 30 Little Turtles. In K.A. Ackley, G.K. Blank, & S.E Hume,

            Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Reading Across the Disciplines (pp. 176-

            177). Toronto, ON: Thomson Wadsworth.