Onoda dies; ex-soldier stayed 30 years in jungle

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Hiroo Onoda salutes after surrendering on Lubang Island in the Philippines in March 1974, 29 years after the end of World War II.

Jiji PressFormer Imperial Japanese Army officer Hiroo Onoda, who spent 30 years in a Philippine jungle during and after World War II before returning to his homeland in 1974, died of heart failure on Thursday afternoon. He was 91.

After his homecoming, Onoda served as head of a foundation called Onoda Shizenjuku, which supports the development of young people through outdoor activities in natural surroundings including camping.

The former soldier was hospitalized in poor health on Jan. 6 and died at a Tokyo hospital, one of his relatives reported Friday. He had been looking forward to delivering a speech to Self-Defense Forces personnel in March, according to the relative.

Born in Wakayama Prefecture, Onoda worked for a trading company before joining the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army, where he received special training as a guerrilla fighter. In 1944, Onoda, a second lieutenant, was sent to the Philippines to lead guerrilla warfare on Lubang Island.

After the war ended in 1945, Onoda continued living as a guerrilla on the island, having never received an order relieving him of duty. After an encounter with an adventurer in the jungle, he returned to Japan in March 1974.

At a news conference on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga offered his condolences on Onoda’s death. “The return of Onoda made me feel that the war had ended, at long last,” Suga said. “His mental strength sustained him through a life in the jungle, and he showed a spirit of reform afterward.”

In April 1975, Onoda emigrated to Brazil to run a ranch. He launched a camping academy in 1984 and established the associated foundation in 1989, acting as its chief.

Using his experience, he instructed young people on outdoor activities at a campsite he opened in the town of Hanawa, Fukushima Prefecture.

In November 2005, the government awarded Onoda the Medal with Blue Ribbon to recognize his long efforts promoting the development of young people.

In May 1996, Onoda visited Lubang Island for the first time in 22 years, at the invitation of the governor of the local province. On the trip, he met with then Philippine President Fidel Ramos at Malacanang Palace in Manila.

In recent years, Onoda had spent most of his time in Japan, working at the camping academy and delivering speeches across the country. In winters, he traveled to Brazil to manage his ranch.