Japanese teacher publishes book challenging glorification of suicide pilots

A former middle school teacher in Kagoshima Prefecture has published a book challenging what he sees as the dominant tendency to glorify Japanese suicide pilots in World War II.

Kenji Yamamoto's book, loosely translated as How to Teach Children about Kamikaze Attacks, draws heavily on testimony from former suicide pilots who survived, taking issue with narratives that focus only on inspiring accounts of valor.

Yamamoto, a 58-year-old Kagoshima Prefecture native, has been criticised for his views, but he believes that teaching children about the shadows of history will help them think critically.

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