"The sky was a dream" Manga left by a special attack member August 15th 11:45

Do you like manga?
I recently met a comic drawn during the war. It was a lively depiction of airplane training, jumping into the sea to gain physical strength, and striving for sumo.

I drew a special attack member from Kochi Prefecture. Behind the comics and pictures he drew, there was a sad story where the future was taken away by war.
(Kochi Broadcasting Station reporter Gennori Munakata)

Special attack member is Kochi cartoon boy

The author of the comic is Yunori Yamazaki. Born in Kochi City in Taisho 14 and raised in Konan City, Kochi Prefecture.

Yunori, who grew up in a doctor's home, said that there were also children's books and comics that were hard to buy at that time. Is it the influence? Yunori was good at drawing comics.

I went to meet someone who knew Yunori. Yunori's younger sister, Yoko Tadokoro.

When I asked Mr. Yunori, who was 89 years old and very energetic, I asked Mr. Yunori about his memories. “When I asked him to draw something, he was a kind brother who could draw everything really well.”
I looked back while narrowing my eyes.

Boy cartoonist's dream is to fly in the sky

There is a manga titled “Balloon March” drawn when Yunori was a junior high school student.

This is a story where if you give a balloon that says "Kaifuku" to a person who is not in good health, the balloon will break and recover.

At the end of the page was the author's name.

The pen name is “Takashi Aozora”. Yunori had a dream of “I want to fly in the sky”. The more I set up a manga club called “Aozora Manga Kenkyukai”, I was filled with enthusiasm for manga and the sky.

There are many jobs related to the sky, including airline pilots. But when Yunori had a dream, it was an era when he had to become an air soldier to fly in the sky.

Strict training is also comical

Yunori joined the Naval Air Corps in Mie Prefecture when he was 16 years old. I finally took the first step of my dream.
Yunori also left the state of training in his comics. You can see how airplane maintenance is learned and how everyone cleans the corridor.

Yunori's manga draws everyday very happily, and there is no figure of people being hurt or suffering, and it is completely unrelated to the image of “war” or “army”.

My sister, Atsuko, picked up the manga and said, “I think the training was really tough, but at that time Japan had won and it was fun every day on the plane.”

My brother's death changed

While working hard to make the dream come true, the war gradually increased in intensity.

In 1954, Yunori received the news that his brother Yutoshi who was in the Navy died. In a letter addressed to his father by Yunori-san, it was written that "The throne of being prepared to devour the elder brother."

After the death of his brother, Yunori's letter blends into warfare and warfare, such as “I will be a fine soldier” and “I am devoted to military duties day and night” instead of cartoons and pictures. The situation began to appear.

My sister, Reiko:
“It's difficult to draw a picture unless it feels fun. My brother died in battle, and the friends who trained together died one after another.

The feelings of Yunori, who drew the sky and airplanes in a fun picture like "I want to fly in the sky," changed to "I want to fight against enemies on airplanes and decorate the endless beauty."

Fly through your hometown

In February 1945, Yunori sent a letter to his family. On February 14th, I was on the plane and informed that I flew in my hometown of Kochi.

Yunori found a house where his beloved family lives from above. The letter
"Dear parents, do you know that I was staring at the house with a hole in the news of the insects? I came home."
There was.

It may have been waving with a loud voice "I'm right" from the plane. This was my last homecoming.

March 21, 1945, about a month later. Yunori left off as “Father, Mother, Genki Sayonara,” and flew off to the east of Kyushu as a “special attack unit”.

Life of only 19 years. Yunori-san's dreams and hopes ended in the sky that he longed for.

Featured comics

This summer, a special exhibition featuring Yunori's works was held in Kochi City.

Many people visited the venue and watched Yunori's comics and letters.

A visiting junior high school student said, "I thought that youth should not be deprived of war."

My sister, Reiko:
“No way, I think my brother is surprised to have so many people watch the comics, but“ war is not allowed ”(=“ do not do ”in Tosaben) Would be pleased if the message was transmitted. "

A tragedy that loves comics and wants to fly in the sky.

Yunori tells the preciousness of peace through comics.