# Japanese WWII soldiers refusing to/not believing in surrender? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-wwii-soldiers-refusing-to-not-believing-in-surrender/392754 "2007-02-19T00:45:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gaucho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@gaucho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaucho)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-wwii-soldiers-refusing-to-not-believing-in-surrender/392754/1 "2007-02-19T00:45:28Z")
Staying hidden on pacific islands, not believing the emperor would surrender. Were there more than a handful of documented vases, or is it mostly urban legend? Can someone point me towards some good articles? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-wwii-soldiers-refusing-to-not-believing-in-surrender/392754/2 "2007-02-19T00:50:12Z")
There were cases in which the US Army had to assault Occupied islands in the early 50’s, I recall. No cite. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-wwii-soldiers-refusing-to-not-believing-in-surrender/392754/3 "2007-02-19T01:09:17Z")
[QUOTE=gaucho] Staying hidden on pacific islands, not believing the emperor would surrender. Were there more than a handful of documented vases, or is it mostly urban legend? Can someone point me towards some good articles? [/QUOTE] I saw a program on 60 Minutes or something about a soldier who stayed in hiding 30 years after the war ended. I don’t know whether it’s [this](http://history1900s.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/soldiersurr.htm) guy or not. But IIRC, the soldier was holed up with two other guys, and for years they terrorized the natives for food and supplies. One of the three ran off after a few years, and the other two got in a fight resulting in one being killed. The last soldier wouldn’t “surrender” until his commanding officer, now in his 70s, came to the island to relieve him of duty. There was some talk of a war crimes trial because he murdered his comrade, and because of his abuse of the island’s natives. But I believe they just blew it off and allowed him to become a hero. But to answer your question, I don’t think there were more than a handful of cases. But its been a while since I saw the program so… ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-wwii-soldiers-refusing-to-not-believing-in-surrender/392754/4 "2007-02-19T01:16:50Z")
I knew of one or two, but it appears there were [more cases than I thought.](http://www.wanpela.com/holdouts/registry.html) ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-wwii-soldiers-refusing-to-not-believing-in-surrender/392754/5 "2007-02-19T01:30:18Z")
[Cecil on the subject](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000310.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-wwii-soldiers-refusing-to-not-believing-in-surrender/392754/6 "2007-02-19T04:12:28Z")
[Hiroo Onoda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroo_Onoda) is one of the best known, hiding out in the Philippines until 1974. He was a special forces-style soldier assigned to collect surveillance information and survive on his own until new orders came in. When no new orders came, he kept right on with his last mission. The Wiki page says that he moved to Brazil, but he moved back to Japan in the 80’s and now runs a “Nature School,” sort of like Outward Bound. His wife recently [became the head of the Japan Women’s Association](http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/news/20061129p2g00m0dm012000c.html), a very conservative group that opposes gender equality measures. The Guy has some [interesting things to say](http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070116jk.html) about modern Japan and Japanese people: > [@Hiroo Onoda](#): > > **Some dreams are best not to wake up from.** On Lubang, I believed I was defending Japan by making the island into a stronghold as best as I could with my two comrades, Shimada and Kozuka. When they both died, I continued my mission alone. When World War II ended for me in 1974, the past all seemed like a dream. > > **Once you have burned your tongue on hot miso soup, you even blow on the cold sushi.** This is how the Japanese government now behaves toward the U.S. and other nations. We are so careful and let others devour so much, yet they are always hungry for more from Japan. > > **Without a huge shock, the sleepy-head, ignorant Japanese will never wake up.** The situation today is similar to what we had in 1853 when [Commodore] Perry’s Black Ships arrived. Unless Nodong or Taepodong missiles fly over our heads, we do nothing to protect ourselves.