I can understand how Watanabe was trying to be a good Japanese. Watanabe severely beat Zamperini during his time as a POW, and was reviled among the American captives. Zamperini was transferred to Naoetsu, a beautiful snowy mountainous region. Answer (1 of 5): Watanabe should not have been charged as a Class A war criminal. He served as a bombardier in B-24 Liberators in the Pacific. He offered to meet The Bird (who was thought to be dead but had resurfaced), but Watanabe refused to meet with him. In 2014, Japanese musician Miyavi played Watanabe in Angelina Jolie's Unbroken, the film adaptation of Hillenbrand's book. Likewise, the pivotal, triumphant moment in the film when Louis holds a heavy wooden beam over his head for several minutes at the order of the Bird, is also chronicled in Hillenbrand's book. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Refuse to let others steal your joy. His wife - he had married a Miami woman named Cynthia Applewhite in 1947 - urged him to go to listen to a young preacher named Billy Graham. Oops, something didn't work. Then Zamperini paid his respects at the memorial erected in Naoetsu to honor soldiers, like himself, who had been prisoners of war there. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. This singing gives him some hope and prompts him to spend hours praying. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested! I wrote to Universal Pictures. They drifted without food, water or shelter for 47 days before being captured by the Japanese. 85 years (1918-2003)Mutsuhiro Watanabe / Age at death. 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. display: block; Watanabe died in April 2003. This account has been disabled. Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Japanese: , 18 January 1918 1 April2003) nicknamed "the Bird" by his prisoners was a known war criminal and Imperial Japanese Army soldier in World War II who served in a number of military internment camps. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Japanese Watanabe ( and other variants) is a Japanese surname derived from the noble and samurai Watanabe clan, a branch of the Minamoto clan, descending from the Emperor Saga (786-842), the 52nd Emperor of Japan, and refers to a location called 'Watanabe no tsu' which was settled by the Watanabe clan, who took the name of Watanabe died on 1 April 2003. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/mutsuhiro-watanabe-35031.php. 'If the former prisoners want, I would offer to let them come here and hit me - to beat me,' he said. 'I thought he was very Italian in appearance, very athletic with beautiful long legs and compact body. Hiromichi Moteki, secretary general of the nationalist pressure group the Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact, told the Telegraph the claims were pure fabrication. Louie describes the barrenness of this camp, which lies just across the water from still-bustling Tokyo. Yes. The Bird couldnt be one of them, so he decided to make their lives as miserable as possible. Stealing and sabotaging packages and rail cars. Prison guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe was so relentless in his torture of the POWs that it left Louis with nightmares and constant dread. Miyavi, who plays Mutsuhiro Watanabe in Unbroken, at the films New York premiere. According to the, Legendary historian Max Hastings wrote in. Watanabe is also vain and delusional, believing that . Try again later. In 1945, General Douglas MacArthur included Watanabe as number 23 on his list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, whom the prisoners nicknamed . In 1998, Zamperini returned to Japan once again to be a torchbearer at the Nagano Winter Games. Learn more about merges. Add to your scrapbook. They later estimated that they had each been punched around 220 times. Watanabe was classified as a Class-A war criminal following the war for his abuse of prisoners of war (POWs) held by the Japanese military. down Mutsuhiro Watanabe, was renewing its effort, sending out photographs of and reports on the fugitive to every police chief in Japan. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. His mother thought he was dead; she built a shrine for him. After his plane was downed over the Pacific, Zamperini and his fellow survivors sustained themselves by eating albatrosses. See, guys who worked under him were hanged as war criminals. Make sure that the file is a photo. 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. The film has enraged Japanese nationalists who have denounced it as a 'fabrication' with 'no credibility' and called for Jolie to be banned from the country. Why did they call Watanabe the bird? Son of an adoring mother Shizuka Watanabe, he studied French literature at the Waseda University. army air core. Mutsuhiro Watanabe ( Japanese: , 18 January 1918 - 1 April 2003) - nicknamed " the Bird " by his prisoners - was a known war criminal and Imperial Japanese Army soldier in World War II who served in a number of military internment camps. 23: Mutsuhiro Watanabe, alias the Bird. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Zamperini forgave Watanabe and wanted to meet with him, but Watanabe declined the meeting, probably fearful of reprecussions after some accusatory questions in the earlier press interviews. "I wasn't given military orders. I did not use weapons, only fists and hands. Yet 27 percent35,756 out of 132,134of Western Allied prisoners lost their lives in Japanese captivity, Hastings wrote. I can respect him for that but he went too far with the beatings and near torture. 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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. In fact, he earns his nicknamethe Birdbecause it carries "no negative connotation" (4.24. Mutsuhiro Watanabe's About. However, Watanabe went into hiding and was never prosecuted. 'Zamperini could hardly move, could hardly unlock his fingers. 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. Zamperini wanted to forgive Mutsuhiro Watanabe in person, but Watanabe would not apologize for his actions in a 1998 interview with 60 Minutes. It was produced by CBS Sports as part of their coverage of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. In fact, he earns his nicknamethe Birdbecause it carries "no negative connotation" (4.24. . Drag images here or select from your computer for Mutsuhiro Watanabe memorial. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, known as the Bird to POWs, was a sadistic Japanese leader at two different POW camps, Omori and Naoetsu. But the Bird wasn't dead. Known to his family as "Mu-cchan" (4.23. Continue Learning about General Arts & Entertainment. 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. Yes, Unbroken is based on true events. The packages contained mixtures of food (including canned turkey and fruit cake), tobacco, games, and Christmas decorations. "This was extremely emotonal for me to know that there were that kind of people here that would erect such a memorial to the prisoners of war," he says. The Bird subjects prisoners to extreme physical and emotional abuse. Watanabe served at POW camps in Omori, Naoetsu (present day Jetsu), Niigata, Mitsushima (present day Hiraoka) and at the Civilian POW Camp at Yamakita. But there is an enormous amount of evidence that the Japanese military committed widespread atrocities against prisoners in World War II, and that it went beyond a few isolated incidences. Try again later. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, known as the Bird to POWs, was a sadistic Japanese leader at two different POW camps, Omori and Naoetsu. [3] Watanabe also appears in Dr. Alfred A. Weinstein's memoir, Barbed Wire Surgeon, published in 1948. I was just 21-22 and the people you remember most would be those who are different and stand out from the crowd. "Probably the biggest thrill my folks had ever had," says his brother Pete. Because of my own personal feelings, I treated the prisoners strictly as enemies of Japan. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, the real-life Bird, was not captured when the war ended. [1] In 1956, the Japanese literary magazine Bungeishunj published an interview with Watanabe, titled "I do not want to be judged by America." However, Wade doesn't recall Zamperini being struck in the stomach, which is central to the book Unbroken and central to Jolie's film. The Bird in Unbroken was known to be ruthless and violent, and he especially targeted Louis. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Mutsuhiro Watanabe I found on Findagrave.com. Zamperini visited Japan before the 1998 Winter Olympics and wanted to meet the Bird, but Watanabe did not want to meet him. * He was born during World War I, the fourth of six children of Shizuka Watanabe, a lovely and exceptionally wealthy woman. getting captured (POW) Mutsuhiro Watanabe is a man of many names and personalities. Driven by a desire to feel powerful, Watanabe derives sexual pleasure and self-worth by using torture to dehumanize the prisoners. At the age of 27, he settled at the Tokyo Headquarters Camp. After being rescued from the water by enemy forces, both men became prisoners of war and were eventually sent to Japanese POW camps. He said: 'The first time I was slapped by Watanabe was for insufficient water in my barracks fire buckets. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Watanabes favorite punishments included ordering some men to punch their officials in the head. Police officers conducted searches and interrogations nearly every day. Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe comes out of hiding in 1952 after amnesty for war criminals has been finalized. 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). It is said Watanabe made one officer sit in a shack, wearing only a fundoshi undergarment, for four days in winter, and that he tied a sixty-five-year-old prisoner to a tree for days. Tom Henling Wade, 'When he made his apology I said I could forgive him and I stand by this. Mutsuhiro Watanabe was born on January 1, 1918 (age 85) in Japan. I offered to give the British point of view but they did not reply. However, he hid himself and never faced a trial. Accounts of Watanabe's abusive behavior are given in Laura Hillenbrand's book about Zamperini titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (2010). Summary: Chapter 23, Monster. There have been many World War II stories told in film depicting triumphs of personal courage and survival. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. But Zamperini could not leave his past behind. Louis Zamperini, who has died aged 97, was a teenage American track star at the 1936 Berlin Olympics but went on to be more sorely tested as a prisoner of the Japanese during the Second World War . Wade, who was brought up in China, admits that if he were younger he might be tempted to take Watanabe up on the offer of a free hit. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Mediaite has uncovered a revealing 1998 interview on 60 Minutes with Zamperini and his torturer, Japanese Army Sergeant Mutsuhiro Watanabe, who died in 2003. The guards at the Japanese concentration camps tried to break Louis. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? He is cruel and vicious Imperial Japanese . }, First published on September 14, 1999 / 1:40 PM. The novel's antagonist and the epitome of evil, Watanabe is the cruel and psychopathic prison guard who singles out Louie for emotional and physical torture. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The New York Times stated that the Unit 731 research program was one of the great secrets of Japan during and after World War II: a vast project to develop weapons of biological warfare, including plague, anthrax, cholera and a dozen other pathogens. According to NYT, Scholars and former members of the unit say that at least 3,000 people by some accounts several times as many were killed in the medical experiments; none survived., Daniel Greenfield in FrontPageMag noted that, Japan has adopted the self-righteous pacifism of the left along with its complete refusal to engage in a moral accounting of its own actions. Yet it was Americans like Zamperini who forgot and forgave., National SecurityJapantortureWorld War II. Every night he had nightmares about the Bird. He would beat him and force him to be in front of his office for days and nights, saluting the tree in front of the door. What makes Louis Zamperini happy? Welcome to Sharing Culture! The second and third times were for telling a lie.'. "[3] Zamperini forgave Watanabe and wanted to meet with him, but Watanabe declined the meeting, probably fearful of repercussions after some accusatory questions in the earlier press interviews. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. He looked a perfect miler. He is a celebrity criminal. He was drinking heavily. } You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. If he had tugs of conscience over what hed done, he shrugged them away by assuring himself that the lifting of the fugitive-apprehension order was a personal exoneration. He died in 2003 and Zamperini died earlier this year at the age of 97. His has an estimated net worth of $100 million. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Wade said: 'He told me 'If you lie, if you break a Japanese order, I will kill.' For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. That's a Class B at best. Louis endured constant brutality at the hands of a man the prisoners referred to as The Bird. Zamperini, who died in 2014, was one of Americas greatest track and field Olympians. Then there's the epilogue, which has so many twists and turns it feels like The Usual Suspects. "Because of my own personal feelings, I treated the prisoners strictly as enemies of Japan. He hid out in the mountains for seven years until the US occupation ended, after which he became a life-insurance. Their experiments included dissecting patients alive without anesthetic. When asked if he would strike Watanabe, he said: 'I would certainly have considered it as a younger man. He lasted 37 minutes before passing out. When the war ended, it became possible to compare the fates of allied servicemen under the Nazis and the Japanese. He was also a fair hand at farming and respected the occupation very much. It is true, as far as it goes, but the story is incomplete. Watanabe had unceasing mood swings. While in the military, Watanabe allegedly ordered one man who reported to him to be punched in the face every night for three weeks, and practiced judo on an appendectomy patient. William "Bill" Harris fights for the United States in the Korean Conflict and disappears on December 7, 1950; it's assumed he died in a POW camp in Korea. Wrote in 1998, Zamperini returned to Japan once again to be ruthless violent! He especially targeted Louis a lovely and exceptionally wealthy woman of $ 100 million would not apologize for his in... The Nazis and the Japanese you are a real person not use,! Kill. ' photographs of and reports on the photos tab as enemies of Japan derives sexual pleasure self-worth! Real person MacArthur included Watanabe as number 23 on his list of 1998! 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