Were the Japanese brave for their kamikaze?

[ChefPapiChulo]

Are they considered brave by Western standards?

Updates

+1 y

It was a serious waste of manpower.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

One thing they don't teach much outside of Japan is that Japanese were under the influence of the heaviest propaganda at the time by the Japanese Empire. Japanese were told that Americans and other Allied Forces were like demons who will torture and rape all of them, rape their women, etc.

So Japanese Kamikaze pilot wasn't motivated so much by love of government or country. An Imperialist nation does not spawn such love of country like with patriotic Americans. They were convinced through propaganda that if they did not stop this threat, their wives and children would be ravaged and massacred.

That is what drove the average Japanese Kamikaze. It is not some love of the nation but a do-or-die feeling. Japanese were also on the brink of starvation at the time.

>> From 1944 on, even in the countryside, the athletic grounds of local schools were converted into sweet potato fields. And we ate every part of the sweet potato plant, from the leaf to the tip of the root. For protein, we ate beetles, beetle larvae, and other insects that we found at the roots of the plants we picked, which we roasted or mashed. Even in the countryside, food was scarce. -- Ayao Okumura

Babies were dying left and right on their mother's breasts because they lacked nutrients from Japanese eating nothing but sweet potato roots and insects. This was a time when everyone was dying.

This was arguably desperation. But it is not some sense of duty to country that drove Kamikazes. It was a sense that this is the only way they will save their family.

[Lynx122]

I do think they were brave. They also fought pretty much to the last man during the battles on the islands south of japan. Out of 5000 men they had like 11 prisoners of war. I think it comes from the samurai philosophy and duty and honor that japanese people have. Even though they were technologically outmached by the end of the war they still tried to win.

[ChefPapiChulo]

Isn't that just a waste of life?

[Lynx122]

You can see it that way if you want but to them life is less important than honor so they're not wasting it.

[ChefPapiChulo]

Doesn't it make sense to live long enough to fight another day? One of the reasons why the Japanese lost was because they lost all of their good pilots to Kamikazes. Air control was (and is) king in the battle field. Losing those pilots hurt them in the long run.

[ChefPapiChulo]

They rarely hit their target too. Something like 20%.

[PeachyPie93]

I think they were brave. If you can't win, die trying and make sure you take someone with you.

[ChefPapiChulo]

That’s so insane.

[PeachyPie93]

Not really, if you are most likely gonna die anyways, might as well take one or a few with you.

[ChefPapiChulo]

That's so crazy lol. If they surrender do you think they'd die?

[PeachyPie93]

You have to think it had to do with honour too. Plus both sides were mean to the captured people, I rather die lol

[ChefPapiChulo]

I understand it had to do with honor. I said from a Western perspective.

What if Americans starting doing that, what would you think?

[PeachyPie93]

I wouldn't care at the end of the day it was war.
But the Americans nuked them so I think that is wayyyyyyyy worse.

[ChefPapiChulo]

That's not what I was getting at. I'm saying what would you think if American troops did Kamikaze attacks?

[PeachyPie93]

I would think it is fine. I personally don't see it as crazy lol.

[PeachyPie93]

I have suicidal tendencies though so I wouldn't take my opinion that serious, I just see it as probably something I would do if I was in war, even if it is the more dumber option lol.

[NaultD]

Living with the valor or consequences. That's bravery.