K A M I K A Z E, C H E R RY B L O S S O M S, NAT I O NA L I S M S AND K A M I K A Z E , C H E R R Y B L O S S O M S, N A T I O N A L I S M S A N D The Militarization of Aesthetics in Japanese Histor y E M I K O O H N U K I - T I E R N E Y THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS CHICAGO AND LONDON The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2002 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. Published 2002 Printed in the United States of America 11 10 5 4 ISBN (cloth): 0-226-62090-5 ISBN (paper): 0-226-62091-3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko. Kamikaze, cherry blossoms, and nationalism : the militarization of aesthetics in Japanese history / Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn0-226-62090-5 1. Kamikaze airplanes. 2. World War, 1939–1945—Aerial operations, Japanese. 3. World War, 1939–1945—Education and the war. 4. Fighter pilots—Japan. 5. College students—Japan. I. Title. d792.j3 026 2002 940.54(cid:2)4952(cid:2)0922—dc21 2002001067 (cid:2)(cid:3) The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1992. In memory of Kurata Iku My grandmother who bore an incredible pain throughout her life Losing two sons to the war Contents List of Illustrations ix Preface xi Chronology: Important Events and Publications xv Note on Names, Dates, and Titles of Works xvii Introduction 1 Part 1: THE SYMBOLISM OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN PRE-MEIJI JAPAN 1 The Field of Meaning, Images, and Aesthetics 27 Part 2: THE ROAD TO PRO REGE ET PATRIA MORI: NATURALIZATION OF IMPERIAL NATIONALISM 2 The Emperor’s Two Bodies: Sovereignty, Theocracy, and Militarization 61 3 The Militarization of Cherry Blossoms: Cherry Blossoms as the Souls of Fallen Soldiers 102 4 The Militarization of the Masses 125 Part 3: THE MAKING OF THE TOKKO¯ TAI PILOTS 5 The Tokko¯tai Operation 157 6 Five Tokko¯tai Pilots 186 Part 4: NATIONALISMS, PATRIOTISMS, AND THE ROLE OF AESTHETICS IN MÉCONNAISSANCE 7 State Nationalism and Naturalization Processes 245 8 Patriotism: Global Intellectual Currents as Its Source 261 9 The Crooked Timber of the Cherry 279 viii Contents Summary 299 Appendix: List of Readings by Four Pilots 307 Notes 341 References 373 Index 401 Illustrations Gallery following page 154 1 Courtesan with two attendants under a cherry tree by Hosoda Eishi (1756–1829), 1810 2 Cherry blossom motifs in military insignia, 1870–1943 3 The Cherry Blossom Reader 4 Falling cherry petals as metamorphoses of fallen soldiers 5 Tokko¯tai plane with a single cherry blossom painted on its side 6 Umezawa Kazuyo, tokko¯tai pilot, with branches of cherry blossoms on his uniform 7 Chiran High School female students waving cherry blossom branches as the tokko¯tai (Shinbutai) planes take off 8 The main building of Yasukuni Shrine today 9 Cherry petals encased in glass ix