Seen here is recently resurfaced photo that had been making the rounds on Facebook of the Commemorative Air Force's (Camarillo Wing) Zero arriving in New Zealand for the 2010 "Warbirds Over Wanaka" airshow. We've seen this plane many times and get nervous when they ship her overseas. We hope the people in New Zealand enjoyed as much as we have seeing her fly.
On our recent trip for our newborn sons's Hatsumiyamairi, we took the opportunity to visit Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen's unique Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett Washington. Special emphasis on the word Flying because many of the vintage warbirds are airworthy and do participate in airshows. Like many air museuems that house WWII fighter aircraft, you'll see the ususal compliments of P-51 Mustangs, F-4U Corsairs, ME-109's, but rarely Japanese warbirds. Paul Allen happens to have two such Japanese fighters that are flyable. een here in the above photo is the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa aka the Peregrine Falcon. This fighter was the Japanese Imperial Army's answer to the famed A6M Reisen Zero fighter flown by the Japanese Imperial Navy. Major Tateo Katō famously claimed 18 aireal victories in a Hayabusa. As you can see, this one is in pristine condition. The front desk guy informed us that if the planes are leaking oil, they fly and you can see there is an oil pan collecting leaking oil underneath the plane. This is the second Hayabusa we have encountered and pleased to report she is well cared for. The other Ki-43 sits in a state of neglect in lonely dark conrer of the Pima Air Museuem collecting dust.
Moving onto Hangar B, we came to see their famous A6M3-22 Reisen "Zero" fighter flown by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Much like our first encounter with the Saipan Zero at Chino's Planes of Fame, this famous plane noted for it's unique tiger stripe camoflauge paint scheme was in a state of overhaul with it's engine removed for maintenence. We were naturally bummed to see her in this state but as the son of an aircraft mechanic we do understand these 75 year old warplanes need maintence and extra loving care to preserve them and keep them flying. This is one of 6 known flying Zeros in the world and now we have seen 4 out of the six. Hopefully we will see her again in one peice flying in formation to the delight of military avaiation enthusiats & historians alike for years to come.
It was in 2016 that a taxiway accident involving an F-4U Corsair and the Texas Flying Legends A6M2 Model 21 Japanese Zero nearly cost the Zero community another plane. The Corsair crashed into the tail section of the Zero nearly obliterating it with its propeller.
We are happy to announce that the Zero has now been fully restored with a new tail. It is expected top take back to the soon.
This last weekend of May 6-7th 2017 saw the 60th anniversary of the Planes of Fame Air Show. It is one of the premiere vintage war bird airshows in the world. It is one of the only airshows where you can see up to two Japanese A6M Riesen Zero fighter planes that actually fly including one that is 100% original complete with its Sakae 12 engine. But this year saw the addition of a 3rd Zero that for reasons not stated did not fly.
This particular A6M3 Model 22 Zero is somewhat of a curiosity. It's tail code is A1-112. This plane was last seen flying over Kumamoto Japan to help uplift the spirits there after the recent natural disaster there.
There was no sign or any owner present that could tell us anything about this plane except for this small flyer written in Kanji taped to one of the propeller blades so we did some research.
According to the Pacific Wrecks website, they noted that there have been some false claims including having been recovered from a wreck in Papua New Guinea in the late 1980's and another stating it had been built by Mitsubishi in 1943. But it turns out this was one of three replica Zeros that were built in Russia during the 1990's for the Santa Monica Museum of Flight.
So as the story goes, this replica Zero which is powered by a Pratt & Whitney engine was constructed for around $300,000.00 USD. Mind you, that's 1990's money. She was last sold for $1.9 million USD. It is currently under private ownership and is said to be based in Mojave California.
While it is not a true original, it still retains the aesthetic of Jiro Hirokoshi's vision and remains a delight for Zero fans world wide despite not having it's familiar yellow stripe painted on it's forward on its wing.
We hope to see her fly in formation with her two original older cousins at a future.
Until then please enjoy this footage we found of this plane flying in Japan.
In what has been called an unwarranted underhanded move, Chino Airport tenants Yanks Air Museum and Flying Tigers Aviation have filed a lawsuit to stop the annual Planes of Fame Air Show. This was filed 30 days before the event. This air show has been held every year for the last 30 years at the Chino Airport. The annual event attracts military aviation enthusiasts and warbird history buffs alike from all parts of the country to see the rarest collection of WWII & Korean War fighter aircraft take to the skies and dazzle crowds. Yanks allege that they lose money each year and further claim the event obstructs their ability to do business. This of course has angered many in the warbird community who regard this as a frivolous lawsuit to ground the beloved air show which features two of the world's only flying Japanese A6M Zero fighters. Yanks has no flying aircraft in their museum nor has participated in the air show years. All parties in the suit claim they love aviation but those suing POF claims they don't like how the air show is being run. One could guess they want a bigger piece of the action for themselves. Internet reaction has been fierce and Yanks has become very unpopular as a result. While we do not expect the air show to be canceled, we call this suit for what it is. Frivolous and Underhanded.
POF has an on-line petition SAVE OUR AIRSHOW which at last count has over 14,650 signatures in support of the POF Air Show. We hope this case is thrown out of court and look forward to seeing over 40 vintage aircraft take to the skies and the Zeros fly once more. Please show your support and sign their Petition. Thank you!
It's incredible to think that 70 years after the end of WWII that only a handful of A6M Reisen Zero Fighter planes survived the war. Currently there are only three that can fly and of those three, only one retains it's original Sakae engine. Well thanks to the Planes of Fame Museum and the Commemorative Air Force this rare three Zero formation was able to take to the skies for us to enjoy. If you are a Zero affectionado as we are, you will enjoy this rare video where one could see Jiro Horikoshi's vision take flight. Please enjoy!
With sadness, we regret that inform you that Mr. Kaname Harada the world's oldest Japanese Naval Fighter Ace has passed away at the age of 99. He is best known in the west through his interviews with author Dan King who chronicled his wartime experiences in his book The Last Zero Fighter for whom King had named the book in his honor.
During WWII, Lt.J.G.(Lieutenant Junior Grade) Harada participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal and many others. He is credited with 9 Kills and 10 shared aerial victories.
After the war, he founded an award winning pre-school in Nagano. In more recent times he had been an outspoken critic of the recent military buildup by the government of Shinzo Abe. But people who knew him best like Dan King would like us to remember Mr. Harada as a kind and gentle man whose wisdom was not lost on those who would listen to his tales of his tragic generation. Like many men who have seen the horrors of war, Harada suffered from PTSD and would speak of his nightmares. One could only imagine what survivors guilt he must have endured after the wars end. And like my father's Vietnam Generation, the surviving servicemen were blamed by the very people they fought to protect for the war itself. What indignity!
We are fortunate that Dan King (seen in the above photo with Harada) was able to tell his story to dispel such myths of Japanese Servicemen chanting nationalistic slogans in their final moments were not true. More to the contrary their last words were often for their wives and mothers like anyone else at death's door. Harada had long painfully carried the memory of the dead. Now he has left this earth to rejoin his Squadron in heaven. May he find the peace his generation was tragically denied. And further that his story, spirit, and wish for lasting peace and harmony live on for generations to come!
It is such a rare thing for WWII Aviation buffs to see one Japanese A6M Reisen Zero Fighter particularly one in flying condition, but entirely another to see two Zeros flying together! This last weekend at the Planes of Fame Air Show in Chino California saw this rare pairing of two of the world's five known flyable Zero's take to the skies to dazzle both war historians and aviation fans alike.
The Zero seen here tail number 61-120 is owned by the Planes of Fame Museum. According to her history, she was originally built by Nakajima in May 1943 and was deployed to deployed to Iwo Jima before being redeployed to Saipan where she was captured intact. After the war she was flown by many test pilots including famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and was destined for the scrap heap until Ed Maloney bought it in 1951 for his Air Museum in Claremont California.
Still retaining its original Sakae engine, Zero 61-120 has the most original parts of the world's few remaining flyable Zero fighters. Seen here with the Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) Zero Tail number X-133, the two planes took to the skies and demonstrated Jiro Hirokoshi's ideal air frame and performance that illustrated Japan's most profound wartime achievements in aviation technology.
Despite it's tragic history, the A6M Zero symbolized Japan's resolve during WWII particularly late in the war when such planes were piloted by young cadets who made up the Special Attack Squadrons (Hotaru - Firefly) Kamikaze Squadrons. It is sad to imagine how so man young men in the prime of their lives climbed into these planes from their bases in Kagoshima to fight a futile effort that did neither bought Japan more time to develop jet fighters or win the war.
All tragic history aside, it was something to see the look in the eyes of our friend and Buddhist Priest Reverend Ryuzen Hayashi who said his Grandfather flew the Zero during the war. You could see a sense of both cultural and national pride that his country (while tragically misguided into war) developed such a beautiful airplane. It was something unique to see. For us, the Zero will remain our aesthetic favorite for it's beautiful air frame design and a joy to watch as she took to the air.
We hope these planes will continue to be cared for so they can thrill future generations to come.
This week in January 2016 saw the first flight of a once wrecked A6M-Zero Fighter found in Papua New Guinea take it's first flight over Japan since WWII. According to the Associated Press, this plane that was found in the 1970's in a severe state of decay was recovered and restored by an American. It was later sold to Japanese businessman Masahiro Ishizuka who then brought the restored plane to Japan last September. To date, there are only a few Zeros left in the world in flyable condition.
While the plane was piloted by former U.S. Air Force pilot Skip Holm out
of the Kanoya Naval Base in Kagoshima Prefecture, it should be noted
that this symbolic departure point was one of the bases where many young
Kamikaze pilots last took to the skies. Mr. Ishizuka is quoted as saying; “I wanted for the people of Japan and especially young people to know
about this Zero airplane, as well as those who are old who remember the
past. Each of them should have different thoughts and
perspectives on this, but I just want people to know how Japan has
developed its technology.”
Last week, we flew to Washington D.C. to induct our father in the Vietnam Veterans Memory Day Ceremony at the Vietnam Memorial Wall. As you may imagine, this was an emotional journey that would require some decompression. So to do that we went top go fulfill a life long ambition of visiting the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. And to our surprise, we found our favorite fighter plane swooping down on us from suspended cables of the ceiling a real Japanese A6M Zero Fighter!
While she was not lit up so well, we could see remarkable details on this plane that once prowled the skies over the South Pacific.
With such low lighting you can not see the radio antenna so well but it's there!
As you can see with such static display's that dust robs some of this plane's beauty. But for Zero lovers and WWII Aviation buffs alike this still draws a smile.
This well preserved A6M is in good condition. It's a shame she's not dusted off or buffed but we're just happy to see her there among such an amazing collection of airplanes in what could be best surmised as one of the greatest Air and Space Museums in the World.
The Smithsonian does sell a t-shirt with the Zero on it. If you get an opportunity to visit our nation's capital, we at American Mishima highly recommend visiting the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
In an era where many new big budget war films have been produced in Japan, none other has hit home so personally than Japan's latest entry えいえん の ゼロ - THE ETERNAL ZERO. Over the last ten years we have seen and reviewed such notable films as Otoko Tachi no Yamato, Ore Kimi, Oba - The Last Samurai, and the Isoroku Yamamoto movie The Admiral. Critics have long claimed these films are revisionist and lack responsibility for Japan's wartime atrocities. I could not disagree more. Japan's war while marred with notable war crimes such as the Rape of Nanking, Bataan Death March and so forth often overshadows the stories of bravery and unheard stories of survival against the overwhelming might of the United States. As often said, there are heroes and villains found on every side in every war. Japan's fighting men of that era were no exception and we will make no apologies for people we can not speak for. Thus we leave this to director Takashi Yamazaki to offer us a glimpse into the life Japan's Naval aviators in his new big budget film THE ETERNAL ZERO.
As many of our readers may or may not know, this author's father had passed away from the effects of Agent Orange he was exposed to during his tour in Vietnam. Paralleling our own personal experience of seeking out the truth as to what happened during the war, we find our young protagonist Kentaro Saeki (played by Haruma Miura) embarking on a journey for the truth. This all comes about after the funeral of his grandmother Matsuno (played by Mao Inoue - from Oba-The Last Samurai) when it is revealed that his grieving grandfather Kenichiro (played by Isao Natsuyagi) was not his real grandfather this whole time. To Kentaro's shock, he and his sister Keiko Saeki (played by Kazue Fukishi) discover their Oba-chan Matsuno was married before to another man named Kyuzo Miyabe (played by Junichi Okada) who volunteered to join the Kamikaze. Knowing nothing of their real grandfather, the two Saeki siblings seek out across the countryside to interview former Zero pilots to learn what kind of man their grandfather Miyabe was and why he joined the Kamikaze.
To Kentaro's shock, he is either turned away or met with utter contempt for Miyabe who was accused of being a coward who would fly away from every battle. This was not what Kentaro expected to hear and it troubles him even more to understand that if Miyabe was such a coward, how could he have volunteered for a suicide mission? The answers would come when he meets former Zero Pilot Isaki who speaks from his hospital bed as he battles terminal cancer. Isaki (played by Isao Hashizume) dismisses the notion of cowardice and reveals Miyabe's true character noting an incident at Rabaul that earned Isaki's respect.
Well after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the disaster at Midway, Miyabe was assigned to be the flight leader at Rabaul. When tasked to go on a revenge mission over Guadalcanal,Miyabe concludes that the distance is too far and would leave them only less than ten minutes flying time over the target. For this reason, Miyabe objects to the mission and is punched out by his superior officer in front of all the men. Having no choice, Miyabe leads his squadron on the futile mission.
Upon the return from Guadalcanal, one of Miyabe's pilots is critically wounded and low on fuel. With Rabaul within sight, the wounded pilot's engine sputters out forcing him to ditch in the sea. Miyabe could do nothing but circle around before he too was out of fuel and forced to land. The Air Sea Rescue planes could not find the downed pilot. They report to Miyabe a scene of sharks circling a pool of blood in the pilots last known position. To the squadron's shock, the downed pilot was declared a disgrace and a coward by the commanding officer. Miyabe verbally defends his pilot's courage and reputation leading to Miyabe being beaten to a pulp in front of his own squadron by his commander for defending his pilot's legacy. For Isaki, Miyabe was no coward. He had learned of Miyabe's wife and newborn child that was his inspiration to live. This of course countermanded the mindset of the Japanese Military of the time where their mandate was to die for the Emperor with no hope of ever returning home. As anyone today knows, this is no way to fight a war but this is what Miyabe was faced with. Isaki decides from that moment that he would do everything in his power to protect Miyabe. Weeks later, he would get his chance.
In an air battle over the Solomon Islands, Miyabe's squadron is jumped by American fighter planes. Miyabe finds himself in trouble with a deadly P-51 Mustang on his tail firing 50 caliber rounds at him. Miyabe's piloting skills keeps him in the air but as the P-51 lines up for the kill, young Isaki dived in a rams the American plane sparing Miyabe's life. This act of insanity nearly kills Isaki. But it also demonstrates an act of loyalty not lost on Miyabe. As Isaki is sent home to recover from his injuries, Miyabe never forgets his sacrifice.
As the war becomes more desperate for Japan, the Kamikaze are formed. Miyabe is sent home to train the next batch of pilots. Unbeknownst to most of them, they will be ordered to go on suicide missions. This news sends Miyabe in complete anguish over his young pilots who in his best efforts tries to protect by issuing failing grades to his best students who are eager to join the fight to save Japan from defeat. Many of his students do not understand what Miyabe's intentions are and accuse him of cowardice.
Isaki who is then reunited with his former squadron leader finds Miyabe a broken man who mourns for his young pilots. It is here that Miyabe meets another young pilot to whom he will entrust his will to live on for Japan's future. As more of Miyabe's pilots are sent to their deaths on Kamikaze missions, Miyabe himself is ordered to lead the protective fighters who are assigned to provide fighter cover so the Kamikaze can reach the American Carriers. At the last minute, Miyabe asks to trade planes with a young Kamikaze pilot named Kenichiro. Shortly after the planes take off, Kenichiro's plane develops engine trouble with oil spattering the canopy thus preventing the young pilot from carrying out his mission. He quickly realizes that Miyabe had done this on purpose to spare his young students life.
In the climax of the film, Miyabe does the unthinkable and flies through a hail of lead to attack an American Aircraft Carrier. Out of his many planes, Miyabe is the only plane that day who will tragically get through. Meanwhile back at base, Kenichiro discovers a note left behind along with a photo of his wife and child reading "That if you survive the war please take care of my wife and child." It is through this process that Kentaro discovers the truth. The man who was told was his grandfather was the same Kenichiro whom Miyabe sacrificed his life to protect so he could fulfill a promise to his wife Matsuno to return to her in any form even if he is reincarnated to care for her and their child. I could tell you more but the film just gets emotionally heavier.
Having learned the truth from their adoptive grandfather, Kentaro returns to interview the Zero pilots to discover their true feelings about Miyabe they unwilling to earlier reveal with many of them acknowledging that they owe their lives to Miyabe. What he learns will change his perception of the war and that of his family. By films end, Kentaro is transformed when he comes face to face with his real grandfather as he makes one final flyby in his A6M Zero on his way to his final mission. All we can say is that we were emotionally blown away by this scene.
As we stated in the beginning of this review. we draw personal parallels to Kentaro's story as we have sought to understand our own family story that took place in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It is through the recollections of those veterans who survived these wars that the human element so often removed from history books is found. This film contains many spectacular flying sequences and CGI effects so well done, you almost would think such scenes were done with real carriers and warplanes. Much like The Admiral, we are shown the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway from a different perspective. The two films compliment each other as they both tell the stories of Imperial Japan's Naval Aviators. Where we go from here is to the stories of the Kamikaze. Where Ore Kimi captured the mental anguish of the veteran pilots assigned to such suicide missions, The ETERNAL ZERO takes this one step further and confronts the horribly incorrect modern day notion that Kamikaze and modern day suicide bombers are the same. They are not. If you read Dan King's book The Last Zero Fighter, you will discover such comparisons by both Americans and today's Japanese youth are complete ばか (bullshit)! They were Japan's best and brightest tasked to do a horrible thing that many knew could stop Japan's defeat. It's an impossible thing to imagine, but the men of that generation endured it. A trip to the Chiran Kamikaze Museum will make you about it.
We at American Mishima hope that you see this film and walk away with the understand of what Japanese pilots faced and what hardship bestowed upon them in the days and months following Japan's catastrophic defeat in their ill fated war against America in the Pacific. We don't see this as "Revisionist" nor do we see this as a film absent of Japan's fault for starting the war. Miyabe openly considers Pearl Harbor a failure for Japan that will guarantee their defeat. Perhaps, there were men like Miyabe who thought on modern terms that were unpopular and seen as criminally defeatist at the time. It is entirely possible. While panned back in Japan as a "Pack of Lies," this fictional work depicts the war as a tragedy. It does not by any means glorify war. Of course, there will be those who don't get it and some who do most notably current Japan PM Shinzo Abe and Yoko Ono who both expressed how they were emotionally moved. We say to you, see it for yourself and be at peace.
This past week, we ventured north to Camarillo to visit the Commemorative Air Force's Southern California Wing's Military Warplane Museum located at the Camarillo Airport in Camarillo California. We had photographed this exact Zero before at the Western Museum of Flight but we can never get enough of this magnificent warplane. Built in 1943, this A6M Zero is the world's only flying Zero with its original engine.
Like any machine, this baby does leak oil now and then and undergoes routine maintenance to keep her flying. Considering she is 72 years old, she's in pretty good shape.
The A6M was the principal Naval Fighter for the Japanese Imperial Navy. Designed by Mitsubishi engineer Jiro Horikoshi, this remains one of the most beautifully designed planes of the Second World War.
If you would like to see this plane up close or find out more information on her, please visit:
“American Mishima” is the work of Louis Rosas, the son of Mexican Immigrants, whose father served in Vietnam for the US Army and who grew up on glamorized war films and military aviation in the sleepy seaside plains of Oxnard, Calif. With an early fascination of the Second World War embedded in his young mind during the post-Vietnam era, it was his exposure to Akira Kurosawa's samurai epic Ran (Toho, 1985) that changed his views of war while creating a lasting impression of Japanese culture and history. Further inspired by the works of Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, Rosas would go on to study Japanese language and swordsmanship, which led him to the practice of Shingon Buddhism and Shinto. Rosas is also a former student of Shinkendo, the ideal and practice of the samurai code of Bushido in the modern world, which helped shape the creative force that is “American Mishima.”
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