Tuttle Publishing
Kazuo Odachi joined the Japanese navy during World War II at
the age of 16, becoming a pilot in the Kamikaze Special Attack
force. He completed 8 suicide missions without spotting a target.
After surviving the war, he returned to Japan and became a police
officer in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and then a
detective retiring as a Director in the 3rd Investigation Division
of the Criminal Affairs Bureau. Having possessed a passion for
Kendo since he was a youth, he has taught the art to children for
the last 33 years.
Author and Translator Shigeru Ohta, is a former prosecutor,
having worked for 34 years at the Ministry of Justice in Tokyo,
Osaka, and other cities. He taught law at Waseda University for 5
years and is currently a professor in the Department of Crisis
Management at Nihon University.
Hiroyoshi Nishijima worked for the Yomiuri newspaper in
Tokyo, retiring as Chief of the Editorial Bureau. He is currently a
member of the Japan National Press Club and the Editorial Committee
of the Shibat Ryotaro Memorial Foundation magazine Ryo.
Alexander Bennett is a professor of Japanese history,
martial arts and Budo theory at Kansai University. He co-founded
and publishes Kendo World, the first English-language journal
dedicated to Kendo. He holds black belts in several martial arts.
His published works include Japan: The Ultimate Samurai Guide, The
Complete Musashi and Hagakure: The Secret Wisdom of the Samurai.
"…[an] eye-opening and informative account…Enhanced with helpful
historical sidebars and footnotes, Odachi's memoir humanizes a
much-mythologized aspect of the war in the Pacific. WWII history
buffs and Japanophiles will savor the many insights." --Publishers
Weekly
"…expertly translated…Odachi provides personal insight on the last
days of empire, and his stories of crime in Tokyo give this memoir
life. This book deserves a spot next to Yasuo Kawahara's classic
autobiography Kamikaze." --Library Journal
"In preparing the English edition, Ohta and Bennett took great care
to provide context to help international audiences understand the
historical and cultural background of Odachi's story. Augmented by
the meticulously researched details, the focus is fixed on telling
Odachi's life in his own words. While the subject matter is often
heavy, the text is laced with humorous anecdotes and wry comments,
allowing Odachi's personality to come through." --The Japan Times
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
