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Purple

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This pilot's diaries revealed that he did not become a pilot by choice. This was expressed in such language as, "it must be", "it is decided", and "death is assigned to me".

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"Please forgive me Mother. You may feel very lonely."

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"Who will cry for me when I die?"

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It was customary for pilots to write a letter before their final flight. These were usually, although not always, addressed to their mothers, apologizing for dying so young. In these letters, sentiments on becoming a kamikaze pilot were also expressed.

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After enlisting for kamikaze service, pilots would be selected for missions (not by choice). A pilot with connections to important people (such as members of the royal family) might have never gotten picked, while those with navigational skills or who were able-bodied were often favored for death.

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Those who did not volunteer might have been selected to engage in combat or engage in other risky activities, likely leading to death.

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Most pilots were in their twenties, with some even being high school students. This young age could be a contributing factor in the decisions of some pilots and would-be pilots.

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Even after signing up, many pilots were left pondering (by human nature) whether they really wanted to die.

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By 1945, it was apparent that Japan was not going to win the war. Some pilots, knowing that they were going to die anyway, wanted to die as heroes, and thus signed up.

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Some pilots, such as Ichijima Yasuo, signed up to not bear the burden of having survived in the wake of the deaths of their comrades. Some, though, did not have much regard for the Emperor at all.

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It was almost impossible to survive a kamikaze mission. Planes specifically designed for kamikaze use were designed to be a death capsule for their pilots. Many of those who did survive, though, only did so due to mechanical issues or crash-landings.

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Kuroda Kenjirō chose not to volunteer, but was forced to enlist anyway when it was announced that every member of his group had consented to taking part in kamikaze missions.

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Before given the "choice" to volunteer, enlistees would be lectured about the glory of dying for the motherland, which often swayed opinions.

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Soldiers knew that most or all of their comrades would "volunteer" for kamikaze missions, resulting in apparent
pressure to sign up.

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What Happened When One Refused to Enlist as a Pilot

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What Happened When One Refused to Enlist as a Pilot

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“Those of you unwilling to lay down your lives as divine sons of the great Nippon Empire will not be required to do so.” (long pause) “Those incapable of accepting this honor will raise their hands now!”
Six men declined to volunteer, resulting in them being among the first six in their squadron to become pilots.

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“Now, it would seem, many had to be compelled, even tricked!”

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Mandatory conscription was in place in WWII-era Japan. Many in the military (particularly the navy) were given the "choice" to become kamikaze pilots.

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The Japanese government of the WWII era needed to maintain the ideals of 1.) dying for the Emperor is to die gloriously, and 2.) Japan was not going to lose the war.

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Many pilots were happy to die, for they felt as if they were saving the lives of their own people. In all, roughly 1,450 kamikaze pilots died at Okinawa, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.

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When Okinawa, located in the Ryukyu Islands off of Kyushu, was attacked by Allied forces, the desperation to dispel the invaders to Japan became urgent.

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Many American soldiers viewed the kamikaze pilots as mindless, noting their disregard for self-preservation. Americans also knew that kamikaze pilots were "volunteers".

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24 kamikaze pilots crashed their planes into Allied ships at this battle in October, 1944, sinking or damaging three ships in total.

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By 1944, Japan was losing the war, and it needed a way to regain dominance over the Allies. Thus, the concept of kamikaze  missions was developed.