A soldier Yokoi Shoichi - After reading

You may remember a Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi? He was called up for army activities again in 1941 and combatted at Guam against the U.S. forces.

When Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration in Aug and the war ended, it was announced by radio, newspaper, flyer etc. to all Japanese who stayed/combatted in Japan and territories of America and/or American’s ally. A soldier Shoichi Yokoi and his two brothers-in-arms saw the flyer, but they did not believe that Japan defeated the War and guessed that the flyer saying Japan’s defect was plot created by U.S. forces.

The Japanese were controlled/taught to believe that their country was very strong. Most  Japanese bore starvation, deprivation and a lot of Japanese gave their lives, believing in beating U.S. forces.  Japanese soldiers were taught that it was considered a disgrace to come back alive from the front. It was no wonder that some Japanese could not recognize Japan’s defeat and did not go back to home.

After Japan’s defeat, the brothers lived in the jungles of Guam for two decades. His two brothers-in-arms died by huge typhoon, but a soldier Yokoi stayed more 8 years in jungle of Guam until local people found him.

When he returned to Japan, he said that he stooped to coming back alive from the front, but he believed his return might be of any help. His life in/after war is unbelievable for people nowadays, but we must know how terrible the war is and must do all efforts not to cause any war forever.