Mitsuyasu Maeno
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese actor who appeared in roman porno films. He died in a suicide
attack on Yoshio Kodama
, a multi-millionaire right-wing leader and leading figure in the Lockheed bribery scandals
.
in 1967. Maeno was married twice, and both marriages ended in divorce. His troubled personal life also included a failed suicide attempt
.
According to his father, Maeno came under the influence of the right-wing and ultra-nationalistic philosophies of the writer Yukio Mishima
. In November 1970, Mishima had attempted to incite the Self-Defense Forces
to overthrow the 1947 Constitution of Japan
. When his efforts to restore Japan to a wartime samurai ethic failed, Mishima committed ritual suicide.
In contrast to the vocal right-wing, numbering approximately 120,000 in 1976, the "secret" or "romantic" rightists which Maeno joined harbored a hatred of Japan's 1947 "Peace Constitution", and adhered to the samurai beliefs of bushidō
. According to contemporary estimates, this group numbered between 10,000 to 30,000 in the mid-1970s.
In 1971, Maeno attended a meeting of ultra-nationalists in Tokyo's Okura Hotel
. Featured at the meeting was "Song of the Race", a composition by right-wing leader, Yoshio Kodama
. The lyrics to the song, which the meeting promoted as the new national anthem, called for an overthrow of the government and a restoration of Japan's World War II Imperial policies. Kodama had been associated with gangsters and ultra-nationalism since the war years, and had served two years in prison as a Class A war criminal
. One of the most powerful figures in post-war Japan, he was largely responsible for the yakuza's resurgence. Though Maeno had no real political connections, he came to admire Kodama as an ultra-nationalist leader.
, Japan's oldest studio, had been specializing in these softcore pink films since late 1971, and by the time of his death he had appeared in about twenty of the company's roman porno films. He had most recently appeared in his best-known role, Nikkatsu's Tokyo Emmanuelle
(1976), for which he received screen billing. In this film he made love to the popular actress Kumi Tamaguchi while flying a plane. The film was the half-Caucasian Taguchi's debut for Nikkatsu, having appeared previously in films for Toei, including Tokyo Deep Throat (1975). Tokyo Emmanuelle later became the first of Nikkatsu's roman pornos to be distributed in Britain.
Maeno was also an amateur pilot, and was registered at the Taiyo Flying Club. According to flight instructor Kiyoshi Yagi, Maeno had told him before the attack that he intended to crash his plane into Kodama's home.
, and the involvement of the highest levels of Japanese political power, including Yoshio Kodama. Kodama had been confined to his house since suffering a stroke in 1975. He was accused of accepting more than seven million dollars from the Lockheed Corporation to bribe Japanese officials to facilitate sales of their airplanes.
Mitsuyasu Maeno, disillusioned by a man he had previously respected, told friends that he believed Kodama had betrayed the right-wing and the samurai code which he espoused. The extreme brand of nationalism to which Kodama and Maeno adhered had generally remained hidden from public eye until Kodama's exposure in the Lockheed scandal. Calling Kodama a "shameful person", he considered the lobbyist's acceptance of money from Lockheed to be a national disgrace.
with two friends. All three were dressed in the uniforms of kamikaze pilots, and Maeno informed airport officials that they were renting two planes for a kamikaze segment of a film. The flight was to prepare publicity for a planned film on the suicide bombers. Before 9:00 a.m., the actor posed in his uniform, with white scarf, rising-sun images on his sleeve, and a headband in front of the Piper Cherokee plane he had rented.
Maeno in one plane and his two companions in the other, the three flew around Tokyo for a period of about one hour. Maeno then told his friends that he had business in Setagaya – Kodama's neighborhood. The other plane, with the cameraman onboard, accompanied Maeno on the flight to Kodama's residence. Maeno flew low over Kodama's home, circling twice before diving into the building. An amateur radio operator reported that at 9:50 a.m. he heard Maeno call out "JA3551" – the number of his plane – and then saying emotionally, "Sorry I haven't replied for a long time. ," after which the transmission suddenly ceased.
Maeno hit the second floor veranda of the home, and died in the crash. The crash caused a fire which started on the second floor of the home, and two servants were injured in the attack. Kodama was resting in another part of the building when Maeno attacked. He was not harmed in the attack, and was carried from his home in a blanket. Kodama's yakuza bodyguards then went quickly to work to stop the fire. Angered, the guards attacked reporters who arrived on the scene. The reporters later complained that police had warned them not to "excite the young men."
When news of the attack became known, a group of approximately 20 right-wing demonstrators arrived on the scene and clashed with the police in front of Kodama's home. At first fearing a conspiracy, police later confirmed that Maeno had acted on his own.
article, many Japanese felt some sympathy with Maeno's actions because of the shame associated with the Lockheed scandal. The scandal had shown an unsavory side of Japanese politics to the world, and there was a sense of frustration that the high-ranking politicians who had dealt with Kodama would never be revealed or brought to justice.
Many, however, also equally rejected the ideological motives behind Maeno's attack. An editorial in the Mainichi Shimbun
asked the question, "Is it imaginable that a young German, not a wartime officer, would commit suicide in a Nazi uniform, shouting 'Heil Hitler!" Coming more than 30 years after the end of World War II, Maeno's kamikaze flight revived the ghost the Japanese wanted to forget."
Keiichi Ito, the director-general for training of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
, said that Maeno's act was tainted by self-serving motives, not in self-sacrifice for the country. Ito, who was a surviving member of the tokkōtai, or kamikaze units, said "Maeno was performing an egotistical, grandstand play to win publicity, not unlike Mishima's suicide. Both were showing off to the world." Nevertheless, Ito commended Maeno's technique in the attack. Commenting that, if Maeno's intent had been to kill Kodama, he could not have known where he would be located within the house. Ito said the bombing was, "very skillful, I give him the highest marks on that score."
Lockheed scandal historian David Boulton writes that the attack on one of the leading figures by a pornographic actor, "aptly summed up the obscenity of it all."
In the years after his death, Maeno's Roman Porno appearances attracted a cult following among enthusiasts of the genre. Nearly three decades after his death, Maeno's career as an actor received a posthumous recognition through his best-known film appearance, in Chile
an writer, Antonio Skármeta
's 2003 novel, The Dancer and the Thief. In the novel, lead character, Ángel, meets his love interest in front of a Japanese movie theater. The poster advertising Tokyo Emmanuelle and its cast, including Maeno's name, mis-spelled as "Mitsuyaso Mainu", becomes a point of connection between the two.
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attack on Yoshio Kodama
Yoshio Kodama
was a prominent figure in the rise of organized crime in Japan. The most famous 'kuromaku', or behind-the-scenes power broker, of the 20th century, he was active in Japan's political arena and criminal underworld from the 1950s to the early 1970s....
, a multi-millionaire right-wing leader and leading figure in the Lockheed bribery scandals
Lockheed bribery scandals
The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed a series of bribes and contributions made by officials of U.S. aerospace company Lockheed from the late 1950s to the 1970s in the process of negotiating the sale of aircraft....
.
Background
Mitsuyasu Maeno was born Shimoichiro Maeno in about 1947. He attended classes in acting at the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in 1967. Maeno was married twice, and both marriages ended in divorce. His troubled personal life also included a failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempts comprise a large portion of suicide attempts. Some are regarded as not true attempts at all, but rather parasuicide. The usual attempt may be a wish to affect another person by the behaviour. Consequently, it occurs in a social context and may represent a request for help....
.
According to his father, Maeno came under the influence of the right-wing and ultra-nationalistic philosophies of the writer Yukio Mishima
Yukio Mishima
was the pen name of , a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and film director, also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état...
. In November 1970, Mishima had attempted to incite the Self-Defense Forces
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
to overthrow the 1947 Constitution of Japan
Constitution of Japan
The is the fundamental law of Japan. It was enacted on 3 May, 1947 as a new constitution for postwar Japan.-Outline:The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights...
. When his efforts to restore Japan to a wartime samurai ethic failed, Mishima committed ritual suicide.
In contrast to the vocal right-wing, numbering approximately 120,000 in 1976, the "secret" or "romantic" rightists which Maeno joined harbored a hatred of Japan's 1947 "Peace Constitution", and adhered to the samurai beliefs of bushidō
Bushido
, meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and...
. According to contemporary estimates, this group numbered between 10,000 to 30,000 in the mid-1970s.
In 1971, Maeno attended a meeting of ultra-nationalists in Tokyo's Okura Hotel
Okura Hotels
is a chain of hotels mainly located in Japan. The original Hotel Okura opened in Tokyo in 1962. The Okura Hotels & Resorts worldwide chain now includes Okura Hotels in Amsterdam, Guam, and Japan, and the Halekulani and Waikiki Parc hotels in Hawaii...
. Featured at the meeting was "Song of the Race", a composition by right-wing leader, Yoshio Kodama
Yoshio Kodama
was a prominent figure in the rise of organized crime in Japan. The most famous 'kuromaku', or behind-the-scenes power broker, of the 20th century, he was active in Japan's political arena and criminal underworld from the 1950s to the early 1970s....
. The lyrics to the song, which the meeting promoted as the new national anthem, called for an overthrow of the government and a restoration of Japan's World War II Imperial policies. Kodama had been associated with gangsters and ultra-nationalism since the war years, and had served two years in prison as a Class A war criminal
International Military Tribunal for the Far East
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East , also known as the Tokyo Trials, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, or simply the Tribunal, was convened on April 29, 1946, to try the leaders of the Empire of Japan for three types of crimes: "Class A" crimes were reserved for those who...
. One of the most powerful figures in post-war Japan, he was largely responsible for the yakuza's resurgence. Though Maeno had no real political connections, he came to admire Kodama as an ultra-nationalist leader.
Acting career
Maeno found difficulty in finding work in film, and began appearing in softcore pornographic films because of the better money. By 1976, more than two-thirds of Japan's films were in the pink film genre in which Maeno appeared. NikkatsuNikkatsu
is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:...
, Japan's oldest studio, had been specializing in these softcore pink films since late 1971, and by the time of his death he had appeared in about twenty of the company's roman porno films. He had most recently appeared in his best-known role, Nikkatsu's Tokyo Emmanuelle
Tokyo Emmanuelle
is a 1975 Japanese film in Nikkatsu's Roman porno series, directed by Akira Katō and starring Kumi Taguchi.-Synopsis:After the director's message, "I visualize the romance of Roman Porn and I attempt to share that image," a loosely-connected series of softcore sex scenes unfolds. The plot concerns...
(1976), for which he received screen billing. In this film he made love to the popular actress Kumi Tamaguchi while flying a plane. The film was the half-Caucasian Taguchi's debut for Nikkatsu, having appeared previously in films for Toei, including Tokyo Deep Throat (1975). Tokyo Emmanuelle later became the first of Nikkatsu's roman pornos to be distributed in Britain.
Maeno was also an amateur pilot, and was registered at the Taiyo Flying Club. According to flight instructor Kiyoshi Yagi, Maeno had told him before the attack that he intended to crash his plane into Kodama's home.
The Lockheed Scandal
In early 1976, Japan was scandalized by news of the Lockheed bribery scandalsLockheed bribery scandals
The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed a series of bribes and contributions made by officials of U.S. aerospace company Lockheed from the late 1950s to the 1970s in the process of negotiating the sale of aircraft....
, and the involvement of the highest levels of Japanese political power, including Yoshio Kodama. Kodama had been confined to his house since suffering a stroke in 1975. He was accused of accepting more than seven million dollars from the Lockheed Corporation to bribe Japanese officials to facilitate sales of their airplanes.
Mitsuyasu Maeno, disillusioned by a man he had previously respected, told friends that he believed Kodama had betrayed the right-wing and the samurai code which he espoused. The extreme brand of nationalism to which Kodama and Maeno adhered had generally remained hidden from public eye until Kodama's exposure in the Lockheed scandal. Calling Kodama a "shameful person", he considered the lobbyist's acceptance of money from Lockheed to be a national disgrace.
The attack
In early March 1976, Maeno flew around Kodama's neighborhood in Setagaya, gaining knowledge of the area in preparation for an attack. On the morning of March 23, 1976, Maeno arrived in the western suburbs of Tokyo at Chofu AirportChofu Airport
is an airport located northwest Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan, west of central Tokyo. It is administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The airport's main commercial activity is New Central Airlines commuter flights to the islands south of Tokyo....
with two friends. All three were dressed in the uniforms of kamikaze pilots, and Maeno informed airport officials that they were renting two planes for a kamikaze segment of a film. The flight was to prepare publicity for a planned film on the suicide bombers. Before 9:00 a.m., the actor posed in his uniform, with white scarf, rising-sun images on his sleeve, and a headband in front of the Piper Cherokee plane he had rented.
Maeno in one plane and his two companions in the other, the three flew around Tokyo for a period of about one hour. Maeno then told his friends that he had business in Setagaya – Kodama's neighborhood. The other plane, with the cameraman onboard, accompanied Maeno on the flight to Kodama's residence. Maeno flew low over Kodama's home, circling twice before diving into the building. An amateur radio operator reported that at 9:50 a.m. he heard Maeno call out "JA3551" – the number of his plane – and then saying emotionally, "Sorry I haven't replied for a long time. ," after which the transmission suddenly ceased.
Maeno hit the second floor veranda of the home, and died in the crash. The crash caused a fire which started on the second floor of the home, and two servants were injured in the attack. Kodama was resting in another part of the building when Maeno attacked. He was not harmed in the attack, and was carried from his home in a blanket. Kodama's yakuza bodyguards then went quickly to work to stop the fire. Angered, the guards attacked reporters who arrived on the scene. The reporters later complained that police had warned them not to "excite the young men."
When news of the attack became known, a group of approximately 20 right-wing demonstrators arrived on the scene and clashed with the police in front of Kodama's home. At first fearing a conspiracy, police later confirmed that Maeno had acted on his own.
Reaction
Maeno's suicide flight inspired a variety of reactions in Japan. According to an Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
article, many Japanese felt some sympathy with Maeno's actions because of the shame associated with the Lockheed scandal. The scandal had shown an unsavory side of Japanese politics to the world, and there was a sense of frustration that the high-ranking politicians who had dealt with Kodama would never be revealed or brought to justice.
Many, however, also equally rejected the ideological motives behind Maeno's attack. An editorial in the Mainichi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...
asked the question, "Is it imaginable that a young German, not a wartime officer, would commit suicide in a Nazi uniform, shouting 'Heil Hitler!" Coming more than 30 years after the end of World War II, Maeno's kamikaze flight revived the ghost the Japanese wanted to forget."
Keiichi Ito, the director-general for training of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
, said that Maeno's act was tainted by self-serving motives, not in self-sacrifice for the country. Ito, who was a surviving member of the tokkōtai, or kamikaze units, said "Maeno was performing an egotistical, grandstand play to win publicity, not unlike Mishima's suicide. Both were showing off to the world." Nevertheless, Ito commended Maeno's technique in the attack. Commenting that, if Maeno's intent had been to kill Kodama, he could not have known where he would be located within the house. Ito said the bombing was, "very skillful, I give him the highest marks on that score."
Lockheed scandal historian David Boulton writes that the attack on one of the leading figures by a pornographic actor, "aptly summed up the obscenity of it all."
Aftermath
Kodama was unharmed in the attack and went to trial in June 1977. The trial was postponed. Before it had been concluded, on January 17, 1984, Kodama suffered another stroke and died peacefully. Shortly before his death, the right-wing leader had expressed the view that he was being punished for taking money from Lockheed, a company that had built aircraft to fight Japan during World War II.In the years after his death, Maeno's Roman Porno appearances attracted a cult following among enthusiasts of the genre. Nearly three decades after his death, Maeno's career as an actor received a posthumous recognition through his best-known film appearance, in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an writer, Antonio Skármeta
Antonio Skármeta
Antonio Skármeta is a Chilean writer, born November 7, 1940 in Antofagasta, Chile. He was born to Croatian immigrants from the Adriatic island of Brač, region of Dalmatia....
's 2003 novel, The Dancer and the Thief. In the novel, lead character, Ángel, meets his love interest in front of a Japanese movie theater. The poster advertising Tokyo Emmanuelle and its cast, including Maeno's name, mis-spelled as "Mitsuyaso Mainu", becomes a point of connection between the two.