Kaiten – Paperback/Japanese Language Edition
Recently published Japanese Language version is now available.
(The translation of Kaiten into the Japanese language was due to the efforts of translator Tomoko Nishisaki and Masami Ono. I began working with Tomoko in late 1997. Her interest in the secret weapon named “Kaiten” came after meeting an American businessman whose father died aboard the destroyer escort USS Underhill in July 1945. The book Kaiten would not have been written without Tomoko’s tireless efforts to connect me to the members of Kaiten-Kai. Masami Ono is the nephew of Jun Katsuyama who died when his Kaiten was rammed by the Underhill in Leyte Gulf. Masami Ono, like Tomoko, worked with me for years and was instrumental in connecting me with the Kaiten Memorial Museum in Shunan City. Sadly, Masami died in early 2017 from cancer. Tomoko and Masami urged Mr. Harada, President of the memorial group Kaiten Kensho-kai, to publish the book Kaiten in Japanese. Mr. Harada, age 79, had a personal connection to the Kikusui mission to Ulithi that sank the USS Mississinewa. His father-in-law was Captain Kamimoto, commanding officer of I-37 that was sunk near Kossol Passage (near Palau) on November 19, 1944. I-37’s mission was to launch four Kaiten attacking American ships as a diversion to draw attention away from the primary target of Adm. Halsey’s Third Fleet at Ulithi Atoll . I-37 was sunk by the destroyer escort USS Conklin one day before the attack at Ulithi. Retired members of the Japanese Naval Defense Force who are members of the group, Suiko-kai, translated Kaiten into simple Japanese so the story could be read by school age children. Mr. Harada was impressed that the English publication of Kaiten was a fair and balanced story truthfully told from both sides. This fact helped inspire him to organize the translation and printing of the Japanese version. Mr. Harada gave copies of the new book to nearly 100 bereaved families who attended the annual memorial service at the Kaiten Memorial Museum on November 12, 2017. Copies are available at various locations in Japan. – Mike Mair)
*Please Note: Japanese language books purchased here will only be shipped in the Continental US by USPS)
$50.00 per book (shipping price included)
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