The Evolution of Honorable Death in Japanese Literature

During the Pacific War (1941 - 1945), the world was introduced to the brutality, endurance and fanaticism of the Japanese soldier. Unforeseen by the Allied Forces, when conventional methods of warfare became ineffective, Japan turned to a battle tactic involving suicidal naval airmen known as the kamikaze. Oblivious to any instinct of self-preservation, the kamikaze pilots conducted suicide missions by crashing their planes into American carriers. Between April 6 and June 22 of 1945, the kamikaze pilots flew over three thousand sacrificial raids against Allied Naval forces and sank at least thirty-six ships while damaging at least four hundred ships