The Asia-Pacific War in Popular Culture: Remembering the Memory of the Tokko Pilots

Abstract

In this chapter, I explore the contested memory of thethe experience of Kamikaze [tokk] pilots during the Asia Pacific War by focusing on three relative recent movies, each of which (in one way or another) deals with this theme. The movies examined are For Those We Love (dir. Shinj Taku, 2007); Firefly (Hotaru, dir. Furuhata Yasuo, 2001), and Pacchigi: Love and Peace (dir. Itsuki Hiroyuki, 2007). In exploring these cinematic images of the Kamikaze story, I seek to unearth further layers of complexity, including issues of colonialism, and to consider some of the varied ways in which feature films can address ongoing historical controversies. The conflicting narratives that emerge from these movies suggest that neither the image of 'suicide bomber' nor the image of 'cosmopolitan patriot' fully does justice to the history of the Kamikaze pilots. Rather, it is necessary to acknowledge the great diversity of experiences and sufferings involved in this history. Show more