Interviewing Japanese Veterans of WWII

Interviewing Japanese Veterans of WWII
With Peter Williams
Part of Pacific Week on WW2TV
• The Pacific
More WW2TV content about New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
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Based on years of research and over one hundred interviews with veterans, Peter Williams has compiled a fascinating collection of personal accounts by former Japanese soldiers, sailors, and airmen. He joins us on WW2TV to talk about this research. The candid views the narratives presented were often provocative and shocking. There were admissions of brutality, the killing of prisoners, and cannibalism. Stark descriptions of appalling conditions and bitter fighting blend with descriptions of family life. The result was a revealing insight into the minds of a ruthless and formidable enemy.
Dr Peter Williams was born in Hobart, Tasmania. After some time living in Europe, North America and Japan he became a history teacher back in Australia. There he also worked for the Darwin Military Museum. He is the author of several WW1 and WW2 books including two on Kokoda.
Peter Williams can be contacted at www.peterdwilliams.com
Japan's Pacific War: Personal Accounts of the Emperor's Warriors by Peter Williams
USA bookshop.org/a/21029/97816824...
UK uk.bookshop.org/a/5843/978152...
The Kokoda Campaign 1942: Myth and Reality by Peter Williams
USA bookshop.org/a/21029/97811070...
UK www.amazon.co.uk/Kokoda-Campa...
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[@lifeveteran9766]

Great interview. Here's for history buffs: While stationed in Germany in 1970 (after my tour in Nam) we Americans joked that all WW2 German soldiers who fought the allies on the western front were killed. This was because German vets didn't want to tell us they'd fought Americans in the War, so they said they'd fought the Russians. But I had two neighbors who told me what they really did, and where. One said he was a G-42 machine gunner in France, then paused and asked me if I now hated him. I told him, "Of course not!" I guessed he'd been in his late teens when in the Wehrmacht - and that was correct. The other neighbor had been sent to occupied Norway by the Wehrmacht because he spoke fluent Norwegian, having studied there before the war. He was assigned as an overseer in a Norwegian factory producing stuff for Germany. When he took over, he never let on to the Norwegian workers that he knew their language, and when he heard them planning a resistance sabotage mission did nothin about it. Then he heard the workers discussing the mission's success, called meeting, and spoke to them in fluent Norwegian, saying that : He knew what they'd done; They now knew he knew; His life and theirs were - in effect - in each other's hands; That by not informing the Wehrmacht about the raid he would be killed by his own if that was discovered, and that his replacement might not let them know he spoke their language; That the war wouldn't last forever and he - like they - wanted to be at peace in his home; So asked them to 1) not let him know about any other sabotage, 2) keep the factory going well enough so he wouldn't be replaced for incompetence, but not so successfully that he'd be transferred to another to improve it. He remained in that position til the war was over, and then remained friends with the Norwegians in that village thereafter (they attended one another's major celebratory events - like baptisms and weddings).

[@onenessbe9991]

Great story .

[@billywylie3288]

So Ford and GM had factories in Berlin and after the war they demanded reparations for damage done by allied bombing raids They were all fighting for the same people all along War is a racket and nobody wins except money There was over a dozen Jewish billionaire business owners who owned BMW and Bosch that used slave labor and made fresh new billions doing business with the nazis It's about business Follow the money

[@anonimosu7425]

lovely story

[@boatingexplainedwithcapndr8359]

Wow! That’s an incredible piece of history. Welcome Home from Vietnam!

[@wintercook2]

Fantastic story. People just trying to survive.

[@hoffenwurdig1356]

For those who don't know, Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku was the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy at that time. A political moderate, he was Harvard-educated and well-traveled. He was one of the people who believed that the future of naval warfare would lie with aircraft carriers rather than with battleships, and he was correct. Today, many scholars on different sides consider that Yamamoto was a genius -- but of course that did not translate into being able to micromanage all of his subordinates, nor did it give him political means to succeed. In 1940, Yamamoto had warned then-Prime Minister Konoye that in the event of war with the Allied Powers, "If we are ordered to do it, then I can guarantee to put up a tough fight for the first six months, but I have absolutely no confidence as to what would happen if it went on for two or three years." In September 1941, he made a similar prediction, stating, "For a while, we'll have everything our own way, stretching out in every direction like an octopus spreading its tentacles. But it will last for at most a year and a half." When the Admiral was ordered to finalize campaign plans and recheck the details of initial strikes, including the Pearl Harbor attack, one of his subordinates commented on his 'brilliant' job. The Admiral replied, "A brilliant man would find a way not to fight a war." He soon learned after the attack that there had been a failure to deliver the intended thirty-minute advance warning to the United States due to an honest-to-God problem with the decoding process at the Japanese Embassy, a reason which he knew the Americans would never believe. Horrified, he said, "I can't imagine anything that would enrage the Americans more." Eventually, the Americans were able to acquire the necessary intelligence information so that they then devised a long-distance fighter attack specifically to target Admiral Yamamoto, and they succeeded in shooting down his plane, which killed everyone aboard. Many years later, his skeleton was found in the wreckage of his aircraft, showing that he literally died with his hand on his officer's sword, intending to cut himself and his aircrew out. In college, my Asian Studies professor mentioned that he had once overheard two Japanese tourists who were on the roof of the Empire State Building and were looking through a coin-operated telescope. He heard a man say to his wife in that language, "I can't believe our forefathers thought they could take on this country. It's infinite!"

[@bobk1845]

I’ve read Yamamoto’s body was found and he was cremated, I think what was said about a skeleton is mistaken.

[@calebhu6383]

Thanks for the insightful comment. Yamamoto seems to have been a reluctant war criminal, but a war criminal nonetheless.

[@user-mm6ve5yh3q]

I'm of mixed heritage. One grandfather was a US Marine in the Pacific (died after the war, before I was born). The other was in the Japanese army. He understandably did not like talking about his experiences but a couple things I remember him mentioning: he witnessed the Doolittle Raid as a teenager and him and his friends were waving at the bombers thinking they were Japanese (they didn't know what American bombers/US insignia looked like back then). Was drafted into the Japanese army towards the end of the war- because of his poor vision he was sent to the Army, while many of his friends who had good vision were "volunteered" to become Kamikaze. Never sent overseas- was deployed in Kyushu and spent most of his time near/in shipyards or trying to capture downed US airmen from B-29s that were shot down. It was better the airmen get captured by soldiers because angry civilians would try to lynch airmen like what happened in Germany. Found it ironic that often the US airmen were better armed because they had revolvers with bullets, while the Japanese soldiers often had no bullets- only bayonets on their rifles and hand grenades. Said how well the POWs were treated depended on the commander, but there was a shortage of physical labor so needed the POWs to be in good health- often ate the same foods (eg dried fish) that the Japanese ate. He lost teeth during the war he attributed to malnutrition. Knew the attacking Americans were getting closer and closer because the Japanese were getting strafed often by land-based aircraft (I believe he said P38 fighters). Not all Japanese soldiers were fanatics who thought the emperor was a God- a common nickname for the emperor among the soldiers was "Ten-chan", which roughly translates to "Heavenly-boy". Was ordered to die fighting if the Americans landed on Kyushu- specifically to detonate an anti-tank mine under an American tank. The goal was bog-down/concentrate landing troops and concentrate artillery on them/ war of attrition. However, the A-bombs were dropped and never amounted to this (yours truly would probably not be alive either!). Cold reception by Japanese citizens after Japan surrendered- had to trade away his remaining possessions to obtain food/transportation back home. In the 1990s when Saving Private Ryan came out in Japan, I remember him commenting that it was the only realistic war movie he had ever seen up to that point.

[@user-mm6ve5yh3q]

I should also add that he mentioned that the Japanese were amused at president Roosevelt's name- when pronounced in Japanese, Roosevelt sounds like "Loose Belt". They were amused that such an important man would have a ridiculous name.

[@wintercook2]

Great story.

[@Peace2U-ec6es]

If you're familiar with the movie "The Railway Man" it's a great story about a former Japanese member of the Kempei Tai and a British prisoner of war named Eric Lomax. It's based on a true story and spans the emotional universe of fear, hatred, physical pain, mental pain, anger, revenge, and ultimately forgiveness. I highly recommend it.

[@your_royal_highness]

Unbroken (the book NOT the disappointing movie) is a worthwhile read

[@moldyoldie7888]

@@your_royal_highness A movie is almost never as good as the book. One exception: "It's a Wonderful Life" is much better than the Christmas card "The Greatest Gift." But Unbroken the movie lead me into reading the Hillenbrand book and many others about Zamperini and The Bird.

[@user-em1sj5ph6h]

I saw it 3 times. I get it all except for forgiveness.

[@moldyoldie7888]

@@user-em1sj5ph6h Several vets have written books that to get peaceful sleep, they had to choose to forgive. What got Mr. Zamperini started happened at a Billy Graham crusade: he remembered all the times on the raft he prayed he would serve God for the rest of his life if he survived what he was going through. He quit drinking and began studying the Bible. He also quit fantasizing about killing The Bird. Forgiving the Japanese came a little later.

[@marksimmons7972]

Very disturbing movie but excellent story if you got the stomach for it!👏👏👏

[@LanceRomanceF4E]

Was born in Japan, lived most of my life is Asia (Korea, Philippines, Thailand) and the one thing Japanese will not acknowledge is their war crimes. WWII is not taught in school other than to shame the USA for using nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Rape of Nanking is a great book documenting the brutal occupation by Japanese, but is banned in Japan.

[@chapiit08]

Most nations do the same in trying to bury the crimes they commit in war.

[@eric-wb7gj]

I read of an account where an British Officer who'd been a POW of the Japanese in WW2, then met one of his former captors in the late 40's or early 50's, who was now a liasion officer. The British Officer drew his pistol & shot him, killing him. The Japanese officer was from Korea (a former Japanese owned territory), & the British Officer said 'those were the worst'. The situation was hushed up. Wiki does state that Korean men could volunteer to join the Japanese military, were very competitive, were brutal & nearly 200 faced charges of war crimes after WW2, so may well be true.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

The story would be untrue. British military personnel do not carry arms on normal duties.

[@eric-wb7gj]

@@anthonyeaton5153 Fair point, but what about in Malaya in 1950s, during anti Communist campaign? Wouldn't anyone out there be in a combat zone, so have to carry a weapon? I read the story years ago, before Wiki was even a thing.

[@davidk7324]

@@eric-wb7gj I find the story at least plausible (whether factual or not). Sidearm issue in that setting would be common and prudent. Documented and enthusiastic nazi volunteers from German-conquered regions were well established. It makes sense that conquering Japanese would attract opportunists.

[@robertmiller9735]

@@davidk7324 Seems to me the Koreans would feel forced to outdo the Japanese troops in everything just to be taken seriously, it's a common pattern with oppressed groups.

[@kentiffany8872]

Wow. Yes. It’s the leaders who have no honor, are hypocrites, and don’t die “honorably “

[@gagamba9198]

Excellent guest. Thanks for hosting. It's a terrific book. Revealing. Sad. Horrifying. Even humorous. Well worth the money.

[@susanyu6507]

Completely enthralled Peter and Woody. Floored with how candid the Japanese soldiers were in telling their stories to Peter. War after war we can’t stop hating each other. Breaks my heart. 💔Why we need historians.

[@michaelbyrnee9584]

It is a shame that japanese historians sugar coat the brutal, depraved, perverted, and insane conduct of the typical jap soldier.

[@rossgage9730]

Many normalise the absolute brutality they participated in as quite normal.

[@greyberet1]

As did, and still do, the germans (former and would be nazis and their supporters today). And many undeclared supporters from many other nations, including the USA, as is being revealed almost weekly and involves persons holding positions of power and influence in institutions of “higher education” 😂…

[@bobfranke2347]

Sentiment aside, I am the eldest son of a decorated WW II veteran of the Bulge who (when I was old enough to be curious) told me the horrors of war and the reality of the 1944 winter weather there, where soldiers on both sides would become tired, lie down for a brief rest in the snow and die of hypothermia. Sad.

[@scottgrimwood8868]

An outstanding presentation by Peter. I hope he has plans to place all his interviews in an archives so future scholars can access them.

[@tylerrose7583]

“One of the elements of bushido is you don’t die uselessly” That is one of the best ways I have ever heard bushido described

[@richardeinheuser5529]

But yet they did so often in Banzai charges. I always found it amazing that they would do the Banzai charges prematurely.

[@Chris-vz7en]

Ironic, considering the videos I just watched about their kamikaze attacks. What a completely useless waste of young lives...

[@richardeinheuser5529]

@@Chris-vz7en Japanese wasted a lot of young lives. Letters from Iwo is a good movie if you haven’t seen it. From the Japanese perspective.

[@user-jp1ge5nb2f]

I have read a lot about Bushido and its history. The version that was indoctrinated into the IJA soldiers was a version that put sacrifice, blind obedience and veneration of the Emperor as a god. Very different to the various versions of bushido in earlier times. What a lot of people think of as bushido was what was codified in the peaceful Tokugawa period, which also did not really represent how the Sengoku period samurai viewed bushido. It was an idealised version that was designed to uphold the stability of the Shogunate The further back you go, the less it was about blind obedience to your lord. In many cases during that period, the relationship was two way. The lord of the domain provided service opportunities, a stipend and success in war, the samurai provided their service. When the lord failed to uphold their obligations or were clearly losing or close to being eliminated, the samurai are recorded on many occasions as not being bound to them to the end.

[@richardeinheuser5529]

@@user-jp1ge5nb2f basically it was just a head job on all the Japanese people. it’s what happens when the authorities control all means of information. No different than what our elites have done to an Americans today. The fact that 40% of Americans think that a transgender woman is a real woman shows what can happen when you brainwash people. Germans, Japanese and Americans. That’s why you need to always fight back.

[@davidk7324]

I regret not getting up at ~2:30 am to catch this live. Wonderful show, a cutting edge perspective I have not seen before. Paul, I saw you pause several times as you absorbed the readings and the stories of how Dr. Williams embarked upon and conducted these interviews. I felt the same way. Very thoughtful and perceptive questions. You're an excellent interviewer. Thank you for this important work, Dr. Williams.

[@shoofly529]

I totally agree

[@bobleicht5295]

My late father in law was a Pacific LST sailor (#614), the post-war mission of which was to repatriate former Japanese soldiers from Korea and China; he didn’t come home ‘til 1946, and the ship was surplussed off to the P.I. His scrap book has pix of the deck of the ship crammed with people, but sadly I never discussed his experiences with him.

[@silverstar4289]

One of my uncles was a crewman on an LST in the Pacific. My Honor Flight Veteran was an Army so,diver aboard ship to invade Japan when the bombs fell. His ship was diverted to Korea to ensure the Japanese soldiers were removed. He said the soldiers were starving and wearing rags. There was no fight left in them.

[@AdarshYadav-ge2io]

And again I say, This channel is unmatched in the field of WW2. So many perspectives, busting so many myths, hearing so many diverse voices, talking about everything from intelligence to civilians, again excellent. We want David Stahel once again on the channel.

[@WW2TV]

I should ask david again - good idea

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

I agree. Just found Woody a few weeks ago; his is perhaps the best 2nd World War content anywhere.

[@WW2TV]

Thanks very much. I try

[@Pam_N]

@@CliftonHicksbanjo The best indeed! Incomparable!!!

[@kevinsoundmixer]

Here, here!

[@mikecain6947]

A friend of mine in New Guinea said that a Japanese man came to their school and asked if they knew where any Japanese were buried and a student said there is on Japanese buried in our garden. The Japanese man asked how do you know that and the student said that is the one my father killed. So he was dug up and taken back to Japan.

[@conemadam]

I applaud the courage it took to embark on this research. Fascinating and tremendously important!

[@dennishughes4089]

Woody: Wow. Yet another fascinating guest and important/under-explored topic. One of the best yet you've done on WW2TV. Thank you!

[@shoofly529]

Definitely

[@TheEvbox]

They have to be the least represented/written about group of veterans from the war! What a rare treat to hear these. There were humans on all sides of the conflict

[@tompanek7511]

Absolutely awesome! These interviews will likely live forever!

[@Peace2U-ec6es]

This is a great video Thank you Paul and Peter! I once saw a video from one of the few Japanese survivors of Iwo Jima. His name was Tsuruji Akikusa who was a radio operator on the island. His account was gripping- especially when it came to the flag raised on Suribachi. He claimed the Japanese soldiers took the flag down several times during the night and replaced it with the flag of the rising sun. I don't recall the details but he said this happened several times. Eventually they ran out of flags, but the last one they raised was basically a sheet with the rising sun painted on... The "paint" was the blood of their soldiers.

[@apimyfriend]

Excellent questions presented by the interviewer. Such a precious video! Thank you for the upload.

[@brianfeely9239]

Truly superb content. Thank you so much.

[@spudhut2246]

Amazing interview. Its great to hear these accounts.

[@dermotrooney9584]

Excellent work Peter. I'm insanely jealous. Thanks Woody.

[@WW2TV]

Yep, amazing work

[@Peter-damian-williams]

Thankyou dermotrooney. At the time I had no idea that talking to the veterans would end in a book almost 40 years later.

[@dermotrooney9584]

@@Peter-damian-williams 🌟 One of my side quests (that might never happen now) is to understand the tactical psychology of the Malaya battles. So your book is climbing to the to of my shopping list. Keep up the good work!

[@josepherrante4230]

...another valuable presentation on this Channel; I'm truly pleased to have discovered it. Keep going!!...

[@WW2TV]

Welcome aboard!

[@jackrosario9990]

Extremely informative, thank you!

[@seanquigley3605]

This has been an awesome chat. Thanks Mr Williams for being able to find a neutrality that allowed you to get these stories down. I'm struck by Horie's wish the war would have dragged on. Seems Staff Officers are all the same, didn't hear many privates or those in the line on either side saying they wished it had lasted one second longer, but plenty on staffs and out of the line on both sides who would say it should have continued.

[@Peter-damian-williams]

There was one other fellow who rivalled Horie. When I asked him what he did when he heard the war had ended, he said "I fought on!" He stayed in the jungle on Tarakan 'fighting on' for two years until wounded and captured.

[@DanielHammersley]

Superbly done. Eye-opening in more ways than one from the viewpoint of IJN, IJA veterans. Thanks again, Woody & Peter!

[@jimaltergott9326]

Great show Woody, very revealing and yes, I had tears in my eyes as I heard some of these personal accounts. Certainly makes me think of Japanese veterans in a different light as opposed to what I heard, read and saw in films growing up.

[@ToddSauve]

In what way Jim?

[@nigeh5326]

@@ToddSauvemaybe that instead of just being cardboard cutout Hollywood ‘evil’ Japanese soldiers, airmen and sailors they were real people. Fighting and dying for what they had been taught was their country, culture and emperor. Just as Allied servicemen fought for their countries, culture and leaders so the Japanese were doing the same. Just as Allied personnel didn’t ask for the war neither did Japanese personnel. But when ordered to they followed their Emperor and government’s orders passed down from above. Same as our men I’m sure they would rather have been at home with loved ones in most cases than fighting thousands of miles away.

[@1089maul]

Woody/Peter, In Tenerife for a week’s sunshine. Gutted I couldn’t see this live. Able to catch up in the gym. A fabulous presentation which was interesting, thought provoking and emotive. So interesting. It is a shame that WW2 veterans are getting fewer and fewer. It would be interesting to have a book representing all nations veterans memories. Excellent research Peter. Thanks to you both! Bob

[@pik6620]

What a unique and fascinating experience Peter had! I could listen to him talk for hours if he had more videos out there. Fantastic video, well done you two and thanks for putting it together.

[@Peter-damian-williams]

Thanks very much. Perhaps Paul will arrange another video for me one day. There are many more stories to tell.

[@ruperterskin2117]

Right on. Thanks for sharing.

[@adambrooker5649]

Wow wow wow, amazing enthralling episode

[@FaithfulObjectivist]

Incredible work and presentation. Thanks for sharing

[@Peter-damian-williams]

Thanks. It wasn't really work. I stumbled on to something so interesting I thought I should record it.

[@whatnowstinky]

Great interview.

[@docshelley1969]

Excellent interview. I just bought the book. Thank you Sirs

[@jayslack41]

Really good questions and a great interview

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

This was absolutely fascinating.

[@udeychowdhury2529]

Again to both of you thanks, echoing the comments about thus channel being the most in depth WW2 channel.

[@WW2TV]

Thanks very much

[@peterplotts1238]

Thank you, for the great progam. First-hand accounts of the combat experience and its socio-civilizational, historical contexts are invaluable.

[@warrenwhite8605]

What a great interview.

[@snapdragon6601]

Great episode!

[@andrewwebb-trezzi2422]

Amazing. It puts a lot into perspective.

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Daggum this was a bit rough to watch. Loved every minute of it. My grandpaw fought those bastards at Luzon in '45. I've heard it was the bloodiest battle involving U.S. troops in history.

[@Jakal-pw8yq]

Yeah same with my dad. He served with the US navy, South Pacific during World War II and told me there was a saying that went around back in the day. It went, wherever the Japanese went rape, torture, and murder followed. Plenty of evidence to back that up.

[@emmetjames3]

Maybe so until Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where we had worse casualties. Only a handful of Japanese surrendered and their bushido tradition strongly influenced two men's decision to drop the a-bomb rather than lose over a million on our side invading Japan where everyone would fight to their deaths.

[@shoofly529]

One of your best interviews.

[@ivanhicks887]

Excellent Presentation thankyou

[@craigwin3685]

Good interview. Great questions

[@nigeh5326]

Great stuff as always Paul 👍 Thanks Peter for a fascinating interview on a subject little known even in Japan. Keep em coming Paul

[@Peter-damian-williams]

Thanks nigeh5326. Its true that the subject is little known in Japan.

[@bryanfields5563]

Wow. Great stories - amazing content! Thanks so much!

[@Peter-damian-williams]

Thanks. I've been working on this on and off for 40 years, so I'm used to the strange things the veterans say. I didn't expect such a lot of positive responses at WW2TV.

[@bryanfields5563]

@@Peter-damian-williams Woody runs a high-class joint here! 😉

[@petermartin9494]

I just bought the book, can't wait to read it. Thank you.

[@timbrown1481]

Fantastic discussion. Pretty much regular guys like the Allies. Private fears, uncertain future…. really intense stuff. I’ve heard so many interviews with Germans. Yet to hear stories of Japanese survivors. Good on you Woody for bringing this presentation on board. Dispels many rumors about our now allies. I too was riding the waves of emotions.

[@ronbednarczyk2497]

Fantastic show.

[@rich_john]

Great show

[@tbbb2]

Well this is certainly a topic and an interview unlike anything I have ever seen or heard. Absolutely wonderful! I am really not sure I am ready for this book, but I had better get ready because I just ordered a copy. I suppose if these men and women did all they did during that war the least I can do is read about it and try to learn from the lessons they left behind. I suspect this book will be every bit as unforgettable as this interview is. Congrats boys!

[@PeterOConnell-pq6io]

Wish I'd been able to stay up late enough to watch Peter's facsinating presentation. The soldiers' and sailors' diverse responses to conflict between "group think", individual thought, and basic humanity expressed by the Japanese vets was enlightening. Can't imagine what the post-war Japanese kids made of having pilot Harada (he of the most impressive war face) as their kindergarten teacher!

[@TheBurr75]

Brilliant again thanks

[@CanadianMemorials]

love your channel ...great work

[@WW2TV]

Thanks so much!

[@dwightdonnelly8662]

I will buy his book. Great interview.

[@cheesenoodles8316]

Excellent guest.

[@danielwallace8434]

Excellent and I'm going to buy the book. History is written by the victor but it is incomplete without the story from the defeated...

[@Peter-damian-williams]

I agree. The defeated' s propaganda is exposed for what it is. The victors propaganda tends to become the official line, so not exposed to much scrutiny.

[@3kittens100]

This was a truly amazing interview - got goosebumps about when Peter told the story of the young soldier who had to bayonet several captives. Emotional stuff but a really important record. One book to certainly add to the list

[@joeparvana9549]

Amazing stories, riveting and touching. I'll be getting the book.

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

Better reading the rape of Nanking

[@Emchisti]

How fascinating. Might have to pick the book up.

[@TomandAmyinthePI]

My Dad fought the Japanese in the Philippines from late '44 to mid '46 in the Army Infantry....Mostly in the Leyte area- There were many Japanese soldiers who were still fighting months after the surrender. They either did not know or refused to believe that Japan had surrendered- My Dad called the post surrender fighting "Mopping Up" and said it was worse than the initial 1944 landing of Our US Army in Leyte

[@Run1212]

Well done 👍🏼

[@joeyartk]

Bought the book after watching this excellent interview.

[@kbs5150]

Wow. Great interview questions. Very informative soundslike a great book.

[@WW2TV]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidlavigne207]

What a fantastic view of the Japanese side of the story. I will very likely order this book for my WW2 collection. It is a must.

[@douglasschafer6372]

Excellent

[@the_lost_navigator]

Respect to those who served. We will remember them.

[@jamest6837]

fascinating video, wow!

[@thetokyobill]

Wish I'd seen this live...I must have been away from my PC. Anyway, great presentation!

[@user-wk9wq8yq5u]

Another great interview. I remember an interview with a Japanese sailor from the war who was asked why they abused POWs and he said that’s the way they were treated by their superiors. He basically said they didn’t know any better. I’m certainly not excusing their actions but usually a reason for most things whether good or bad.

[@CodytheHun123]

I wasn’t able to watch live but had a question or more of a comment about Kameji Hori. It looks like he was in the same unit as Manga author and artist Shigeru Mizuki (who created GeGe No Kitaro). Although Hori’s account is more detailed probably because he was a sergeant and Mizuki was a private, they both mention the same people and names, same incidents such as Lt Kodama arguing with Major Naruse, the two Lieutenants who were accused of cowardice and of course Captain Okamoto who threatened to cut down any man who did not wish to die. It’s interesting to compare the two men’s accounts but I was wondering if there was more to it. Like could either of them have been apart of some of the veterans associations or if the actions of the Naruse Detachment is more of a well known story in Japan than it is in the West. Mizuki wrote a fictionalized account call Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths in the 70s and later published a history of Showa Japan I believe in the 80s (although it’s more of his autobiography and there he wrote what actually happened to him during the war).

[@porksterbob]

This was an amazing episode. It makes me wonder if anyone ever wrote a similar book talking to Chinese troops or indian troops or Hungarian troops etc.

[@nigeh5326]

China is I would think a problem in that if it’s mainland China the CCP would only want a view that supports Mao and the Communists. If it’s Taiwan likewise they would probably only want the Nationalist view. Hungary would be a problem as post WW2 to the end of the Warsaw Pact and Communism former Hungarian troops who had fought against mainly the Soviets would not want to say anything that could get them in trouble. Even after the end of Communist rule I would expect it could be risky discussing the Eastern Front and something a lot would want to forget.

[@porksterbob]

@@nigeh5326 Ok, the CCP switched to acknowledging the primary role of the KMT in the fight sometime in the late 1990's. They aren't really communists any more. They are an authoritarian nationalist party. The CCP now is essentially the KMT in Taiwan in the 1970's. If they could get away with changing their name to the Guomindang, they would. Taiwan has their own issues. Namely that only 1/6 of the population is descended from mainlanders who came in 1949. For the other 5/6, they were nominally pro Japan. Lee Deng Hui, the president from 1988 to 2000, actually served as an anti aircraft gunner in the IJA in Taiwan. In addition, the war didn't really touch Taiwan. The Japanese didn't draft people from the island until 1944, when they weren't able to ship those troops anyway. Taiwan was also a non industrial breadbasket for the Japanese empire. This meant that the US barely bombed it and, when the US sank the shipping, Japan starved, but Taiwan had a massive food surplus. There were about 150,000 Taiwanese who volunteered and served in the Japanese armed forces. When the KMT came over to Taiwan, they saw the Taiwanese as former collaborators. The Taiwanese, for their part, looked at the KMT as illiterate carpetbaggers who came to loot the island. Remember Japanese press was censored so there wasn't public consciousness among the Taiwanese about how brutal the war in China was. In February 1947, kmt troops beat up a woman for illegally selling cigarettes. This sparked a mass protest against the kmt across the island. Local Taiwanese language is the same as the language in Fujian, across the strait. So the Taiwanese protesters decided to protest in a language the kmt didn't speak.... Japanese. Now imagine if Poles, upset with the Soviet takeover, had decided to protest in German in 1947. The KMT shot the protesters in the face and about 20,000 people were killed. Martial law was declared and that lasted until 1987. So for Taiwan, they don't actually look at the KMT war effort that fondly, because it was used to justify the KMTs 40 years of one party rule.

[@mimorisenpai8540]

​@@nigeh5326just like most german veteran from Western Front rarely talk about their experience

[@mimorisenpai8540]

​@@porksterbobLee teng Hui have wild background, he join CCP in event of Chinese civil wars but left the party letter. Similar with park chung hee who formerly junior officer of manchukuo army but letter join wpk and have brother who involved in communist uprising

[@davidstecher1171]

Well balanced! Well done!🤗

[@iancarr8682]

Interesting research and presentation from Peter Wiliams. Is the book a fraction of the interviews undertaken or most of the important results?

[@WW2TV]

There is a lot more in the book

[@vcv6560]

No exaggeration, this has to be one of the best segments I've seen here; usually come here for the depth of research on topic, but war being a human endeavor its incredible to hear those same emotions from 'the enemy'. Not a surprise, but a revelation. Of those who wouldn't be interviewed I'm reminded of Watanabe, The Bird from Unbroken (Hillenbrand) and his interview during the Nagano Olympics. "These people were the enemy, and I was a solider."

[@Peter-damian-williams]

That's a good explanation "these people were the enemy and I was a soldier."

[@vblake530530]

Fascinating!

[@BelloBudo007]

Well that was one of, if not, THE most interesting interview of its type that I have watched & listened to. My Dad was in the RAAF during the Korean War and would do R&R in Japan. Whenever the subject of the Japanese was raised, he made it very clear that he no time for them at all. And yet I know that when he was on R&R in Japan, he would do his best to help out those Japanese that he encountered who needed food etc. Then when I was visited in Australia by Japanese friends that shared my interest in the Martial Arts, Dad was a fantastic host and made them very welcome at his home with BBQ, swimming pool, horse riding, music and lots of laughing. So I always wondered where he say when it came to the Japanese. I'm guessing he was as confused as many of us were.

[@scatton61]

Really interesting

[@seegurke93]

I wish Peter would have taped the interviews too, so you can feel the gravity in the stories told by the people that were living through them. Grüße

[@kensvay4561]

Requiem for the Battleship Yamato is a fantastic book by an officer who was on the bridge. The descriptions of the ship and the men’s bodies being ripped apart are incredibly graphic.

[@HGmusiclist]

A very, very interesting show! To hear the "other" side but also hear the impact of once's society and culture in the way war is perceived, felt or fought. On the other hand, you hear the simularities between their stories, feelings, emotions and pain and that of allied stories, it's the same, we are all human. The only difficult part whas hearing of the killing of allied soldiers, then my ingroup preference kicked in. Not proud of it but that's how it works, that is also the part of humans. Loved the kindergarden story!

[@George-vf7ss]

In the 1950's an American veteran walked into a market in Gardena, California and saw the Japanese prison guard that had pounded a rusty nail into his head while he had been a prisoner of war. He called the police and the man was arrested and deported. Many of the local veterans were pissed off the veteran didn't just kill him on the spot.

[@WW2TV]

Can you provide a source for this please? Interesting story

[@vinkobosnyak4463]

Always good to hear the other point of view. It helps develop a more balanced understanding of the war. Years ago in Hiroshima, I had a guide who had survived the atomic bombing. It was an unsettling account, and they had lost many friends, literally in an instant. When the tour had finished, which included the museum, I no longer felt like lunch.

[@hazchemel]

Thanks heaps. Amazing. The story around giving one's life for the emperor reminded me of older European stories where the soldier had a similar attitude .. in that he kinda abandoned the idea of surviving or, faced and accepted the possibility/probability of death.

[@joeakiouye5567]

Thank you for this fascinating and insightful video. As a Japanese American growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, I grew up with the American view of the Japanese military during WW2 as “fanatics.”Personally knowing men who had fought in the Japanese military and reading books about the war from the Japanese point of view, I knew that there was a fuller story to be told. Thank you for bringing this more balanced and nuanced view. We need to understand that wars force us to see the enemy as the “other,” and not like ourselves. We are all fully human.

[@fliegeroh]

Fascinating history

[@alexlanning712]

I like the way Paul draws out Peter to hold the floor

[@williamharvey8895]

Awesome episode. Japanese veterans stories are very under reported.

[@dougmoodie8713]

My dad had zero respect for the Japanese because of their treatment of P.O.Ws, in fact he was put on C,Os orders once because he refused to salute a Japanese exchange officer. He was told to show due respect to the rank in future. After that my dad went out of his way to make sure he would cross paths with this same officer and carry on not saluting 😅

[@Rokaize]

How long after the war is this?

[@dougmoodie8713]

@@Rokaize the 50s

[@joeyartk]

If you considered yourself already dead when you go to war, why would you have any respect for an enemy that surrendered?

[@dougmoodie8713]

@@joeyartk yeah, ah, ok 👍

[@ravietiel6085]

Peter Williams has done some important research. I have to read his book.

[@timkohchi2048]

Wow indeed. Reminds me of the most amazing documentary ever, done by a young Japanese woman in prob the ‘90s interviewing veterans of the island campaigns. You have got to see that if this interests you, this very subject(s) from a very different angle if you will..

[@junesmallwood4921]

I am learning so much and it just goes to show you that we Americans who were too young for the war never ever learned the truth of what really happened, But I am guessing that is true of all wars. Thank you for sharing

[@kevinsoundmixer]

This is pure gold. I have placed Mr. William's book in my Amazon cart. Hearing from the Japanese perspective is such a rarity for so many reasons. Great episode Paul!

[@jimwatts914]

Howdy folks. Stunning presentation by Mr Williams on interviewing Japanese sailors soldiers and airmen. Tremendous insight into the Pacific War and Japanese society. Do not miss it.

[@Peter-damian-williams]

Thanks Jim. I'm overwhelmed by all the praise here in the comments.

[@DaveSoCal]

Excellent interview and surprising. We don’t see this angle much. I’ve been fortunate to meet a German sailor and an -262 pilot w/a great story. They’re just normal folks. People just want to live their lives, have families and be happy. In the U.S. right now so many families are divided and I gotta say “can’t we all just get along” ? I can’t believe I said that, but every once in a while in history, somebody comes along and disrupts the world, and it takes forever to put the pieces back together.

[@TowGunner]

In the 1980s, mother dated a Marine who served during WW2. On Iwo Jima, he found a Japanese Gunto sword and brought it home. On it, there was Japanese writing. His son was friends with a Japanese kid. The kid had his parents translate the writing. The Japanese soldiers name and city was on the sword. They were able to make contact with the soldier and my mother’s boyfriend actually sent the sword to him. I told him he was nuts. That sword could have been used for God knows what. True story!

[@emmgeevideo]

There were millions of Japanese veterans who survived the war. In fact one major reason that there were such huge casualty estimates for the potential invasion of Japan was because there were still so many Japanese soldiers. Yes, there were relatively few combatants who survived the ware, but "veteran" encompasses a wide range of people in the armed services during the war.

[@streetgato9697]

Fantastic episode, excellent guest! There's still a treasure trove of stories and accounts from Japanese war veterans that haven't been explored yet. It would be interesting to hear accounts from submariners or tank crewmen who survived the war. I used to work with a fella who was in correspondence with the National Airborne Comrades Association, an IJA paratrooper veterans group based in Miyazaki prefecture. This was in around 2012. I believe his grandfather fought in Sumatra and the Philippines. Unfortunately many of those veterans are in their '90s and won't be around much longer. I recall reading an old book titled 'Japan at War' by Theodore Cook and Haruko Taya, it was a brilliant collection of personal accounts from both combatants and civilian survivors, in which many of the stories exploded myths about the Japanese people in WW2. Many of them hated the militarists and even professed disdain for their imperial masters. Great work on this segment and I look forward to the next ones.