how did mutsuhiro watanabe die

It is true, as far as it goes, but the story is incomplete. In the movie, which was released on Boxing Day, Officer Matsuhiro Watanabe relentlessly tortures the one-time Olympic hero Zamperini by making him hold a railway sleeper over his head for 37 minutes. Point is that if you wanted to pursue that kind o. At the age of 27, he settled at the Tokyo Headquarters Camp. Zamperini was pummeled with clubs, belts, and fists, and on one occasion, was ordered to hold a heavy wooden beam over his head. [4] David Sakurai portrays Watanabe in Harold Cronk's Unbroken: Path to Redemption, a "spiritual successor" to Jolie's film, released in 2018. And he isn't. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. In the Army Air Force during WWII, he was one of three who survived their plane's crash into the Pacific. Then Zamperini paid his respects at the memorial erected in Naoetsu to honor soldiers, like himself, who had been prisoners of war there. Louie, Tinker and some other Ofuna veterans arrive at Omori. One minute he would be beating a prisoner, and the next he would be handing them fistfuls of candy and cigarettes. However, in 1952, the United States granted amnesty to Japanese war criminals, after which he emerged to become an insurance salesman. He said: 'I knew Zamperini very well. But Zamperini could not leave his past behind. This CBS Sports documentary on Louis Zamperini features the rare Mutsuhiro Watanabe interview (aka "The Bird"). In an office, these men meet a strong, even brutish-looking, corporal. Known to his family as "Mu-cchan" (4.23. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? He and his wife, Cecy, raise two children. According to the Telegraph, they are upset about descriptions of POWs being beaten, burned, stabbed or clubbed to death, shot, beheaded, killed during medical experiments or eaten alive in ritual acts of cannibalism., In an interview with the Telegraph, secretary general of the Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact, Hiromichi Motekitold, said, Its pure fabrication. A deep, deep apology. In Japanese P.O.W. You can always change this later in your Account settings. This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Perhaps I will be able to watch it with a DVD. Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Japanese Imperial Army Unit 731, which carried out medical experiments on prisoners during the war that matched or even surpassed Nazi Germany in cruelty, was particularly infamous. Sergeant Mutsushiro Watanabe (in Japanese: /Guns Watanabe Mutsuhiro) is the main antagonist of Angelina Jolie's film Unbroken. Died on: December 23, 1948. Zamperini, who died in 2014, was one of Americas greatest track and field Olympians. It is out in US cinemas on Christmas Day, and arrives in the UK on Boxing Day. He had five siblings, including his eldest sister Michiko. But Zamperini was only hurting himself. This browser does not support getting your location. But British POW Tom Henling Wade has also catalogued the cruelties meted out by Watanabe, who was known as The Bird among inmates, in a book of his own called Prisoner of The Japanese. He died on April 1, 2003. Zamparini ended up carrying the Olympic torch for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan in a show of forgiveness and reconciliation. Adam Luck for MailOnline The Imperial Japanese Army corporal was passionate about the field of insurance. Their experiments included dissecting patients alive without anesthetic. He had varied interests in an assortment of activities. Mutsuhiro Watanabe (em japons: , 18 de janeiro de 1918 Abril de 2003, apelidado de " O Pssaro " pelos prisioneiros) foi um militar do Exrcito Imperial Japons durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, que serviu em campos de prisioneiros em Omori, Naoetsu (atual Joetsu ), Niigata, Mitsushima (atual Hiraoka) e . "[2], Following the Occupation, Watanabe became a life insurance salesman and was reportedly wealthy, owning a $1.5 million apartment in Tokyo and a vacation condominium on the Gold Coast of Australia. Driven by a desire to feel powerful, Watanabe derives sexual pleasure and self-worth by using torture to dehumanize the prisoners. According to the, Legendary historian Max Hastings wrote in. At the end of that summer the Japanese told the prisoners to write the letters POW on top of the warehouse. Audiences are told "Unbroken" is a "true story." The film is based on Zamperini's biography of the same name, which charts the transformation of a teenage tearaway to an Olympic athlete and eventually a US air force captain in the Pacific War. But Watanabe had become a fugitive, had changed his name and went into hiding, only remerging when the war crimes prosecutions were shelved several years later. . They later estimated that they had each been punched around 220 times. Zamperini was transferred to Naoetsu, a beautiful snowy mountainous region. Watanabe couldnt be one of them, so he decided to make their lives as miserable as possible.Watanabe was stationed at several POW camps, including Naoetsu, and Omori, a man-made sand-spit between Yokohama and Tokyo. He was drinking heavily. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Angelina Jolies new World War II movie, based on Laura Hillenbrands bestselling book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, follows the story of Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini and the torturous treatment he received at the hands of his Japanese captors while he was held as a prisoner of war. As far as I know the British perspective rarely features in these films. He hid out in the mountains for seven years until the US occupation ended, after which he became a life-insurance. Try again later. Watanabe's abuses are detailed in the 2010 best-selling book about Zamperini titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. He is a celebrity criminal. He had five siblings, including his eldest sister Michiko. Mutsuhiro Watanabe. 'I thought he was very Italian in appearance, very athletic with beautiful long legs and compact body. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. See, guys who worked under him were hanged as war criminals. He offered to meet The Bird (who was thought to be dead but had resurfaced), but Watanabe refused to meet with him. I staggered back and sat on the laps of two men sitting watching. Yes, Unbroken is based on true events. Zamperini, played by Jack O'Connell, was beaten and mistreated by the Japanese navy between July 1943 and the end of the war in August 1945 after being captured near the Marshall Islands following. He must have hit me about 36 times with all his strength. After his plane was downed over the Pacific, Zamperini and his fellow survivors sustained themselves by eating albatrosses. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Mr Wade said: 'I would like to see the film at the cinema but perhaps I am too old now. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Not nowthough.'. Some emails and online comments in response to Nicolas Gattig's Jan. 7 Foreign Agenda column, "Japan may shun 'Unbroken' just because it's old hat," about the Angelina Jolie film . See, guys who worked under him were hanged as war criminals. Watanabe initially worked for the Japanese news agency, Domei. Mediaite has uncovered a revealing 1998 interview on 60 Minutes with Zamperini and his torturer, Japanese Army Sergeant Mutsuhiro Watanabe, who died in 2003. Driven by a desire to feel powerful, Watanabe derives sexual pleasure and self-worth by using torture to dehumanize the prisoners. And face the ghosts. This man, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, is only a corporal at Omori before being promoted to . http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/unbroken/, https://reasonabletheology.org/the-rest-of-the-story-louis-zamperini-after-unbroken/. However, Wade doesn't recall Zamperini being struck in the stomach, which is central to the book Unbroken and central to Jolie's film. During his time in hiding, Watanabe, worked on a farm and in a small grocery store; he also visited his mother at a restaurant every few years to let her know he was alive. Then he swung it like a baseball bat against the left side of my head and then the right. But Tom Henling Wade knows the incident is true because he was there - as Zamperini's barrack's commander - and told MailOnline of his own utterly brutal experiences in the notorious Omori camp. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He hid out here for seven years. Thanks for your help! The stunned Wade was ordered to Watanabe's room where the Japanese NCO reached for his 4ft kendo sword, made of tightly bound bamboo. 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The guards at the Japanese concentration camps tried to break Louis. Watanabe avoided all that, Zamperini said, according to the, Watanabe would later admit that in the beginning of his life in exile, he had pondered the question of whether or not he had committed any crime. However, Watanabe went into hiding and was never prosecuted. How many bullet holes did Louie's plane receive. Known to his family as "Mu-cchan" (4.23. . The man who made so many lives so miserable sold life insurance after the war and became wealthy. Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe Character Analysis. List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Imperial Japanese Army personnel of World War II, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, "Former Track Star, POW, Doesn't Get Closure at 81 in His Return to Japan", http://articles.latimes.com/1998/feb/19/sports/sp-20790, http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/louis-zamperini-4, http://www.seabiscuitonline.com/author.asp. At the age of 27, he settled at the Tokyo Headquarters Camp. 85 years (1918-2003)Mutsuhiro Watanabe / Age at death. Prior to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the CBS News program 60 Minutes interviewed Watanabe at the Hotel Okura Tokyo as part of a feature on Louis Zamperini who, four days before his 81st birthday, was returning to carry the Olympic Flame torch through Naoetsu en route to Nagano, not far from the POW camp where he had been held. "I wasn't given military orders. Died on: April 1, 2003 More Facts Recommended Lists: Career in the Japanese Army Watanabe initially worked for the Japanese news agency, Domei. display: none; 'He was an ebullient character and we liked him. I could see his fist swing up to the side of my jaw and I was rocked back.'. In the film Zamperini is played by Briton Jack O'Connell but in the film credits there is no mention of Wade, who is sanguine about whether he makes an appearance of any sort in the film. Watanabe died in April 2003. The message was: The war is over. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Mutsuhiro Watanabe (192509131)? Japan was low on food for its own people, so there was hardly any for the POWs. In 1945, he drew up a list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan. Zamperini was well known to me. Mutsuhiro Watanabe is a man of many names and personalities. When they were later moved to another camp as the war drew to a close, Wade recalls Zamperini being targeted by Watanabe. Watanabe's punishments were especially cruel because they were psychological and emotional, not just physical. 23: Mutsuhiro Watanabe, alias the Bird. [4], Watanabe's abuses are detailed in the Laura Hillenbrand's book about Zamperini titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.[5]. Make sure that the file is a photo. This account has been disabled. Answer (1 of 5): Watanabe should not have been charged as a Class A war criminal. 'As I rose he landed two more punches left and right on my head. Add to your scrapbook. He was obsessed with humiliating the famous Olympian, Louis S. Zamperini, by attempting to destroy his dignity, and to dehumanize him.The Bird was classified as a war criminal, placed 23rd on the most wanted list, by the US Occupation authorities for his mistreatment of POWs; along with several others such as the medical officer, a pitiless brute called Sueharu Kitamura, known as the Butcher. Not many people know of my entire family, as many of them were scared of being linked to me when I was listed as a wanted war criminal. Learn more about managing a memorial . Mutsuhiro Watanabe (,born circa 1918 - died April 2003), POW given nickname, "The Bird", was an Imperial Japanese Army sergeant in World War II who served at POW camps in funa, Naoetsu (present day Jetsu, Niigata ), and Mitsushima (present day Hiraoka). In the end, he laid the blame on sinful, absurd, insane war. He saw himself as a victim. He was born into a wealthy family but experienced humiliation when he was not made a military officer. Because of my own personal feelings, I treated the prisoners strictly as enemies of Japan." Very severe. The humiliation of rejection left Watanabe feeling disgraced and derailed and those who knew him said that every subsequent action was informed by this humiliating dishonor. Zamperini wasn't the only one looking. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Sergeant Mutsuhiro Watanabe abused prisoners at POW camps in Omori, Naoetsu and Mitsushima. This singing gives him some hope and prompts him to spend hours praying. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The packages contained mixtures of food (including canned turkey and fruit cake), tobacco, games, and Christmas decorations. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. Zamperini was a legend to the villagers of Ofuna, Japan, and Watanabe felt that Zamperini challenged his authority for that reason. I can understand how Watanabe was trying to be a good Japanese. But now my feeling is I want to apologise. The Watanabes enjoyed a privileged life, having amassed riches through ownership of Tokyo's Takamatsu Hotel and other real estate and mines in Nagano and Manchuria . The Los Angeles Times reported that Zamperini returned to Japan in a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. Yet, the Times wrote that, CBS, which had planned the Zamperini/Watanabe piece for more than a year, hoped to film the two in a moment of reconciliation, but it didnt happen on Zamperinis first visit., According to the LA Times, Zamperini did not want any bowing and scraping from Watanabe, he merely wanted to meet with him, and smooth it out for him and his family.. Watanabe once forced a weak and starving Zamperini to hold a heavy piece of wood above his head for 37 minutes before punching him in the stomach, and the book also accuses the Japanese of engaging in cannibalism of POWs and indulging in murderous medical experiments. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. The Bird of Unbroken Read also What is the difference of chikungunya and Zika virus disease? He was captured by the Japanese in World War II and subjected to years of brutal treatment. "And when I think back to 1945 when we left Naoetsu, it was such a horrible place in our minds, I couldn't look back. Excited at the prospect of being free of "The Bird," his hopes were crushed when he found out that Watanabe had also been transferred to Naoetsu. His wife, Cynthia Applewhite, convinced him to attend a revival meeting by the evangelist Billy Graham. My eldest sister is named Michiko, and it is her home that I came to and my family was staying in upon my visit to Tokyo. Watanabe did not apologize in the interview, but acknowledged beating and kicking prisoners. Zamperini thought he was dead. Weve updated the security on the site. After being transferred to a different POW camp, they are transferred again, and this time they are separated. By a desire to feel powerful, Watanabe derives sexual pleasure and by! A `` true story. sinful, absurd, insane war Zamperini very.. To open the photo viewer to open the photo to open the photo viewer should not have been charged a. 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