Key Facts
• 97-year-old Taiwanese man trained as a kamikaze pilot for Japan 80 years ago.
• Over 200,000 Taiwanese served as Japanese soldiers during World War II.
• The man, Chen Jin Cun, joined the Japanese Navy at age 17 in 1944.
• He trained with the “Shinyo” suicide boats, designed for attacks on enemy ships.
• The boats were made of thin plywood, raising doubts among trainees.
• U.S. forces never landed in Taiwan, and the unit did not see combat.
• Post-war, Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist rule, and ex-Japanese soldiers received no compensation.
• Chen feels abandoned by Japan, as Japanese veterans received pensions while Taiwanese did not.
• Chen frequently visits Japan but holds mixed feelings about his “former homeland.”
• Researcher Chen Bo Zong has interviewed nearly 100 former Japanese soldiers, including Chen Jin Cun.
• Taiwan’s younger generation lacks awareness of its Japanese colonial history.
• Chen warns against war, calling it “humanity’s hell,” amid rising Taiwan-China tensions.
• In May, China conducted military drills near Taiwan, heightening concerns of conflict.
Summary
Chen Jin Cun, a 97-year-old Taiwanese man, reflects on his time as a kamikaze pilot trainee for Japan during World War II. Over 200,000 Taiwanese served as Japanese soldiers, but post-war compensation was limited to Japanese veterans, leaving Taiwanese like Chen feeling abandoned. Despite his pride in serving, Chen recalls the harsh realities of war, including training with fragile “Shinyo” suicide boats. Taiwan’s younger generation remains largely unaware of this history, as researcher Chen Bo Zong highlights. Amid rising tensions with China, including recent military drills, Chen warns against war, describing it as “humanity’s hell.”
