Figure 1.-- Naval Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki was the first POW of the Pacific War. He was one of 10 sailors who participated in the Pearl Harbor attack. He and his fellow survivors were not expected to survive. There is a stunning irony in how he was treated by his countrymen and enemy. The Japanese honored his fellow miniature submarine comrades as warrior gods. His survival was not seen as honorable. He was told to kill himself both as a POW and when he returned to Japan after the War. his is hois family, we think in the 1950s. His children were subject to taunts that their father was a coward. We are not sure how severe the taunting was. After the War, mosdt Japanese people came to understand how fortunate Jaoan was to be conquered by the Americans. He learned English and would help sell Toyota cars--a kind of very successful economic invasion.

Naval Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki was the first POW of the Pacific War. Like many Japanese POWs he was taken alive only because he was so badly injured, he was unable to kill himself. He was one of 10 sailors (five officers and five petty officers) who participated in the Pearl Harbor attack. They manned five two-man Ko-hyoteki class midget submarines (December 7, 1941). He was the only survivor. Sakamaki was chosen for the mission due to his large number of siblings. He and his fellow survivors were not expected to survive. There is a stunning irony in how he was treated by his countrymen and enemy. The Japanese honored his fellow miniature submarine comrades as warrior gods. Sakamaki's image was scrubbed out of the group photograph. His survival was kept secret from the Japanese people. His family was toldc that he was missing when the Japanese authorities knew thst he was a POW. His survival was not seen as honorable. The iron will of Japanese military personnel to fight to the death was seen as part of Japan's military prowess. He was told to kill himself both as a POW and when he returned to Japan after the War. Americans took a different approach. Despite the hatred which exploded in America because of Pearl Harbor, the badly injured Sakanaki was rushed to a hospital where his life was saved. As soon as he regained his senses, he asked to be allowed to kill himself. The Americans would not permit it. He had to be carefully guarded at first to prevent suicide. In contrast to how captured Americans were treated, Sakamaki received medical care, good food, and comfortable quarters. He could not understand it. He had been told that if captured he would be tortured and subjected to a humiliating death. An that suicide was the only honorable choice. He eventually came to terms with what had happened and helped talk other Japanese POWs out of suicide. He learned English and would help sell Toyota cars--a kind of very sucessful economic invasion.

Created: 9:09 PM 6/13/2026
Last updated: 9:09 PM 6/13/2026