Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms: The Militarization of Aesthetics in Japanese History

441 Pages·2002·1.76 MB·English

by  Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney

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