General Information
This museum preserves and exhibits documents related to the Tokkō pilots who died in suicide attacks during the Battle of Okinawa near the end of World War II. Tokkō is the abbreviated form of Tokubetsu Kōgeki (特別攻撃), referring to missions in which pilots flew bomb-laden aircraft directly into enemy warships. These operations are internationally known as Kamikaze attacks.
In December 1941, a branch of the Army Pilot Training School was established in Chiran Town. As the war situation deteriorated, it was converted into an Army Special Attack (Tokkō) airbase in March 1945. From this and other bases—particularly Chiran—a total of 1,036 young pilots, most around twenty years old, lost their lives in suicide missions over the waters near Okinawa. Chiran Base, the southernmost of these airfields, suffered the highest number of casualties, with 439 pilots dying in these attacks.
Based on this history, we preserve the remains of the pilots and related documents to convey a message to the world: we must never allow such tragic wars to happen again. We hope to contribute to lasting world peace by sharing with visitors the importance of peace and the preciousness of every human life.
This core mission has been maintained since the museum’s founding in 1987, when it was reestablished from the former Tokkō Remains Center. Today, this institution is known as the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots.
History
The Chiran airbase was established in December 1941 as a branch of the Tachiarai Army Pilot School in Fukuoka Prefecture, coinciding with the beginning of Japan’s war against the Allied forces. Chiran was selected for its favorable meteorological and geological conditions, as well as its strategic transportation access—it was situated at a junction of major roads and had a railway station. The base was located on elevated ground approximately two kilometers south of central Chiran Town. Covering an area of around 200 hectares—larger than many regional airports today—it featured two runways: a main runway extending 2,000 meters to the northwest and a secondary runway measuring 1,500 meters aligned north-south. Both were 350 meters wide.
Sorties from Chiran Base
Initially, Chiran Airbase served only as a training school. However, in March 1945, it was repurposed as the southernmost Tokkō (Special Attack) airbase on mainland Japan—the closest such base to Okinawa. While other Tokkō bases existed in Kyushu and in Taiwan (then under Japanese rule), Chiran, being the southernmost and nearest to Okinawa, was the largest. Of the 1,036 pilots who died in the Battle of Okinawa, 439—nearly half—flew their final missions from Chiran Airbase.
A Picture for Appeasing the Souls in Chiran
Six Flying Goddesses are saving a pilot from the plane in flame to carry him to heaven.
Hayate, army fighter type 4
The Chiran Airbase was home to 30 Hayate fighter planes assigned to Flying Squadron 103. Their role was to guard Tokkō aircraft or conduct search-and-attack missions.
During the Battle of Okinawa, these planes were also used as Tokkō aircraft, flying from Joto and Tsukishiroh Higashi airbases. Of the 118 Hayate deployed from those bases, none returned. From Chiran, four Hayate were sent on such missions, and two did not return.
This particular Hayate plane was captured and repaired by U.S. forces advancing in the Philippines in January 1945. It was evaluated for its performance, then sold to a private aviation museum in the United States. In 1973, it was purchased by a Japanese collector and returned to Japan. It was displayed in several locations before eventually being placed in the Chiran Peace Museum.
It is the only preserved Hayate aircraft in the world.
Hayabusa, army fighter type one, the version 3
Hayate was the main fighter, whose number of production was 5700, next to that of Zero fighters.
The one in display is the model created for the movie “I will die for you” in 2007.
Navy carried-borne fighter type zero
This Zero fighter was shot down and sank 36 meters deep, approximately 500 meters off the coast of Koshiki Island, in May 1945. It was salvaged by the Chiran government in June 1980.
Although seriously damaged after 35 years underwater, parts of the aircraft remain in their original form. This is a Mitsubishi A6M Zero Type 0 Model 3 carrier-based fighter of the former Imperial Japanese Navy, armed with two 20 mm cannons and three 13 mm machine guns.
The photos of young Tokko pilots
The photos of the 1,036 deceased pilots are displayed according to the date of their sorties. Below the photos are their final letters to family and friends, along with their last writings.
War History Room
This exhibit documents the experiences of the people of Chiran through successive conflicts, from the Seinan War to World War II, using recorded videos and historical materials.
Witness testimonies, including accounts from Ms. Tome Torihama, are available for viewing.
Videos show the final moments of the Tokkō pilots, from takeoff to their missions.
A diorama of Chiran Base allows visitors to press buttons to identify key locations.
The photos, last words and last writings
-In the glass window displayed these things along with message Japan flags.
Special Display Room
This exhibit presents the historical background of the Kamikaze (Special Attack) units and features modernized or English translations of letters written by young pilots. These materials have been carefully prepared to be clear and accessible, making them easy to read and learn from.
Tokko Peace Kannon Statue
This is a replica of the secret Buddhist statue known as the Dream Changer from Hōryū-ji Temple in Nara. It stands 54 cm tall and contains a rolled paper inscribed with the names of the pilots. The Dream Changer is said to transform nightmares into good dreams, bringing peace to the world.
Triangular Army House
This restored triangular barracks, located in the cedar forest beside the museum, is where tokkō pilots stayed awaiting their missions. The lower portion of the building was constructed underground. Here, the pilots spent their final hours writing short messages together on Japanese flags and composing farewell letters to their families.
