Lecture by Toshio Hijikata - Imperial Japanese Navy

[Soulyss]

I found this during my random wanderings of the internet tonight looking for information of the combat record (if any) of the P-63 and found it interesting and thought some folks here may find it interesting as well. 

http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/naoaki_ooishi/My_Aviation_Experience.pdf

[Karnak]

Interesting read.  It is clear that some things are almost always found in fighter pilot recollections like that.  Some of the things he said I have read very much the same coming from American, British and German pilots.

It was interesting some of the things he heard about, though not right in all the details, such as the disastrous Fairy Battle attack on a bridge in France.

The: "I miss Jazz music.  I want peace soon."
"It is all yours"
lines were bleak.

It was interesting how strongly he recognized the faults of the IJN's training and its inability to adapt.

[Gabriel]

Saved to read later, thanks

Don't read much from Japanese perspective. 

[Frodo]

  Thanks for sharing this. 

[Fencer51]

I believe the red text is by the guy who wrote what Mr. Hijikata said, after NOT taking notes.. that always makes me nervous.

[Brooke]

Thanks for posting the link.  It was an interesting read.

With regard to getting the Japanese point of view, there are three books in particular that I liked a lot:

Zero, by Masatake Okumiya (led Zero squadrons), Jiro Horikoshi (designer of the Zero), and Martin Caidin.  It's about the war overall, not just the Zero airplane.

Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan, the Japanese Navy's Story, by Mitsuo Fuchida (leader of 1st airstrike on Pearl Harbor) and Masatake Okumiya (dive-bomber pilot and naval staff officer).

Danger's Hour, by Maxwell Taylor Kennedy.  It's a story of the kamikaze attack on the USS Bunker Hill, but it also covers the full story from the Japanese side as well and a wider context of the end stages of the war.  It spares no human detail and is thus has sections that are very, very sad.

I still need to read Samurai, by Saburo Sakai (a leading Japanese ace, who survived the war).