Sakai Saburo--A Real Samurai

This is a photograph given to me by Sakai.  This was taken before his war injuries and is signed:  "To Smart:  Saburo Sakai (in English and in Japanese and his secret Samurai sign)."

Posting about my obsession with the Japanese warrior class reminded me of my friend Sakai Saburo.  I met Sakai in 1986 when I was asked by the Yakima Air Fair to interpret for the meeting between Pappy Boyington and Sakai.  Earlier that year I was traveling to Japan on a military assignment and while there, the Yakima Air Fair Committee (specifically Bob Clem) asked me to contact Sakai and make a personal visit to his home to invite him as a special Air Fair guest.  They had written letters to him previously and he had not responded.  Apparently, taking the effort to make a personal visit sufficiently impressed him enough to accept our invitation. 

Sakai was born of Samurai lineage on both his mother's and his father's side.  He was a living legend in aviation.  At the time he visited Yakima, he was the leading living Japanese ace from WWII.  He shot down 64 American planes.  He adopted the Bushido code of the Samurai in both his military and his personal life.  After meeting Sakai what impressed me most, however, was his voice for peace and understanding.  The picture above was given to me by Sakai and signed using his secret "Samurai sign."  A secret Samurai sign is made by combining several Chinese characters into one symbol that incorporates the characteristics reflective of the life the Samurai wishes to live.  Although Sakai did not reveal to anyone the meaning of his Samurai sign (it can never be revealed), he did share with me his personal mantra in life: " Futo Fukutsu", which is literally "never bend, never stoop."  In English we would say "Never Give Up!"

I visited with Sakai in Tokyo on two occasions.  The second time, he invited me to spend the night at his home and have breakfast with his family.  I also served as his personal interpreter for several days during two of the Yakima Air Fairs.  Serving as his personal interpreter entailed flying in a private jet to Seattle to pick him up and spending essentially every waking moment with him for several days, including numerous social calls, golfing dates and dining events.  The most notable of these activities were the meetings between he and Pappy Boyington and the dinner engagement he had with the Blue Angel pilots.  We also had him to our home for dinner. He had an excellent sense of humor and was very challenging to interpret for.  I was privileged to interpret the miraculous story of when his plane was shot up in a battle over the Pacific.  His instrumentation was damaged and he become lost somewhere over the ocean.  He was seriously injured, had lost a lot of blood and was passing in and out of consciousness.  His fuel was running low and he was certain he would perish somewhere over the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean when his mother came to him in a dream and guided him back to his air base.  He told this story with such conviction and tenderness that I had no doubts about its veracity.   The first time I interpreted this story, I was in awe.  I could not believe what I was hearing.  This was such a remarkable and touching story. I thought to myself, "This is so powerful!  Someone should write a book about it!"  I obviously had not read Sakai's biography, Samurai!    Everyone at the event was an aviation fanatic and had read the book and knew the story well.  I was hearing it for the first time as the interpreter and was almost in tears hearing this beautiful story of a mother's love and devotion, and Sakai's vision of her in his great moment of need. 

In the West we have mystical views of Samurai and their Bushido code, attributing to them almost divine capacities, which border on the absurd.  In reality, the Bushido code is really about honor and sacrifice and service.  Sakai embodied all that was truly noble and correct of the Samurai--he served his country with humility and courage.  Following the war he was largely forgotten by his country.  Japan was quick to move beyond the devastation and embarrassment of World War II.  However, Sakai was willing to talk candidly about the war, mistakes that were made and suggest how countries should live together in harmony.  He was thrilled when his daughter, Michiko, married an American, Terrance Smart (who is not a known relative of mine).  He said, "families argue but they do not go to war.  My daughter is helping build the bridge of permanent peace between Japan and America."  He was proud that his first grandson, Maxwell Smart was both a Japanese and an American citizen.  He clearly served as an ambassador of peace and goodwill.  I will forever count as one of my great privileges in life the opportunity to both interpret and come to know Sakai as a person, and as a great, modern day Samurai warrior.

Following Sakai's death, this was shared with me by Michiko Smart, Sakai's daughter.