There is also a level of hypocrisy surrounding the almost universal decrying of the Tokkō Tai units and their actions. Flying in combat for Japan at that late stage in the war meant almost certain death even in regular units, and some of the allies' most decorated war heroes sacrificed their lives in actions that meant certain death, like throwing themselves on hand grenades or charging enemy fortifications alone. Given Japan's war situation, their actions were understandable and pragmatic; thousands of Japanese lives were being lost on a daily basis, and a lot of them were not even in uniform. If a handful of dedicated pilots could sink or cripple an enemy carrier by sacrificing their own lives it could save thousands of Japanese lives later on.
I think your critically confusing something here, the act of throwing yourself on a handgrenade in and of itself is suicide (valor), but it was to save lives of those around you, not to take them.
The act of flying a plane into an enemy carrier was not the act of saving lives (fanatics)but the act of taking them.
Two very differnet motives and justifiable acts.
Just like many of the kamikaze pilots that never made it to their targets stated that they were disappointed in that they were not able to kill Americans, not so much in saving lives of their countrymen.
50 years from today, will we also think that al Qaeda flying planes into buildings or suicide bombers be considered somehow not fanatics as well?
I agree the letters are a glimpse of the mindset of the Japanese towards their ruler at the time and should be used in hopes that history does not repeat itself in a museum for all to see.
