A former middle school teacher in Kagoshima Prefecture has published a book challenging what he sees as the prevailing tendency to glorify Japanese suicide pilots in World War II.
Taking issue with narratives that focus only on inspiring accounts of valor, Kenji Yamamoto's book, loosely translated as "How to Teach Children about Kamikaze Attacks," draws heavily on testimonies from former suicide pilots who survived.
Yamamoto, a 58-year-old Kagoshima Prefecture native, has faced criticism for his views, but he is convinced that teaching children about "the shadows of history" will help them to think critically.