Passing on the stories of kamikaze pilots as 'human beings, not heroes' - The Japan Times

Passing on the stories of kamikaze pilots as 'human beings, not heroes' - The Japan Times



Passing on the stories of kamikaze pilots as 'human beings, not heroes'

Kenta Torihama, 33, often describes kamikaze pilots as "human beings like us." | JIJI
JIJI
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Aug 20, 2025
MINAMIKYUSHU, KAGOSHIMA PREF. –

A great-grandson of Tome Torihama, who was a beloved motherly figure to Japanese kamikaze suicide attack pilots in World War II, is dedicated to preserving the stories of the pilots, whom he calls "human beings, not heroes."

Kenta Torihama, 33, has taken on his father's life work of speaking about the kamikaze pilots who took off from the Chiran air base in Kagoshima Prefecture, late in the war. Their planes, loaded with 250 kilograms of bombs, deliberately crashed into enemy ships.



Tome Torihama ran the Tomiya Shokudo military-designated canteen near the former Imperial Japanese Army air base in what is now the city of Minamikyushu. She was adored as a mother-like presence, taking care of young pilots' final letters to their families and preparing dishes the pilots wanted to eat at her own expense.