Niihau Island

　　I saw Niihau island through the window while climbing down. Our tour guide started briefing us on the island. The seashells from this island seemed to be characteristic of the island. After some Japanese entertainer knew of the seashells and made them popular, lots of Japanese people apparently come to buy them, though I didn't know anything about that. The guide was talking only about seashells on Niihau island. I wanted to know about the Niihau incident, especially the opinions of local people on it. She talked with a mask-like face, which you see in the faces of the patients of Parkinson syndrome. I felt uneasy, or scared, and I didn't ask her about the incident.
　　Getting back to about 80 years ago, military planes which took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor and got some damage, and weren't able to return to the aircraft carrier, were designated to make an emergency landing on Niihau island and wait for the arrival of the rescue submarine. A zero fighter which was controlled by a young pilot from Imabari city, near my hometown made a crash landing on the way back from Pearl Harbor. While he was sitting unconscious, confidential papers and his handgun were stolen by one of the locals. He tried to take them back, but negotiations didn't work and his lonely war against local people broke out. The rescue unit didn't show up for some reason or other. The news about Pearl Harbor traveled to this island and the conflict got fiercer. A Japanese American happened to be staying on the island at that time. He was moved by the pilot's speech about his mother country, Japan. He cooperated with the pilot and fought the locals, but they were eventually killed.
　　The U.S. Government placed an emphasis on this incident. Japanese Americans who pledged that they shall follow the U.S. rules can easily become genuine Japanese back. The public opinion insisted that Japanese Americans should be taken into custody. Japanese Americans who were living in Hawaii were sent to the mainland and a regiment consisting only of Japanese Americans was formed, which was that famous 442 regiment. The 442 regiment rescued lots of U.S. soldiers in France who were surrounded by German troops and were living on borrowed time or on the brink of annihilation. This regiment is known for the highest rate of mortality in U.S. military history. A man from this regiment lost his right arm in the fight and became a senator in after years. His name is now added on the international airport in Honolulu. I joined my hands in prayer seeing Niihau island from the minivan, for the sake of the young pilot, Nishikaichi and his co-worker, having a hatred for people who had loved the war at the same time.
　　The following pictures were shot by myself. The 1st one is Niihau island. The second and later were shot last year in the Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor. They show the zero fighter at the crash landing site.

ワイメア峡谷から山を下る途中でニイハウ島が見えた。ガイドがニイハウ島の説明を始めた。日本の芸能人が注目したということでこの島の貝殻が有名なのだそうだ。貝殻の話ばかりしていた。そんなことより、ニイハウ島事件について地元の考えを聞きたかったのに一切触れず。パーキンソン症候群の患者のような仮面様顔貌で話すガイドが少し不気味でこの事件のことは質問できなかった。

真珠湾攻撃の日、機関故障などで空母まで戻ることの出来ない攻撃機の一時避難場所がニイハウ島に設定されていて、戻れない場合はこの島へ不時着して救助の潜水艦を待つことになっていた。そして、今治市出身の若者の操縦する零戦が一機不時着した。気を失っている間に機密書類と拳銃が島民によって盗まれ、それを取り返すべく、彼のたった一人での戦争が始まった。救助の潜水艦は何かの理由で現れなかったのだ。ビジネスでたまたま島に滞在していた一人の日系アメリカ人が彼に協力したが、真珠湾攻撃のことがこの島へとやがて伝わり、大きな闘いとなり、二人は結局戦死する。彼はパイロットが熱く語る母国への想いに感動し、彼に味方したのだ。

アメリカ政府はこの事件を重く見た。アメリカ市民として誓いを立てたはずの日系人は、いざとなると日本人に戻ってしまう。日系人を隔離せよ。日系人を信用するな、、、、ということになった。ハワイの日系アメリカ人は本土に送られ、日系人だけの連隊が組織された。その４４２連隊はヨーロッパ戦線でドイツ軍に包囲され全滅直前の米軍部隊を自らの犠牲を顧みず救出した。米軍の軍隊史上、今なおもっとも被害の大きかった部隊である。その戦闘で片腕を無くした男がいる。後に上院議員となった英雄である。今、ホノルルにある国際空港に彼の名前が付けられている。ニイハウ島に向かって同郷の英雄に手を合わせた。戦争を望んだ連中を憎みつつ。

下の写真は今回の旅で自分が撮ったニイハウ島の写真と、去年訪れた真珠湾にある航空博物館に展示されていたニイハウ島の事件現場に残されていた零戦の残骸。