Why did kamikaze commit suicide?

Answer 1

It was intended as a War Sacrifice. There were also purpose-built one-man suicide submarines called Kaiten or ( Heaven-shakers) These aimed at an impact velocity of 45 knots and had a powerful warhead. See the book Suicide Submarine by Yutaka Yokota. The low valuation of human life by the Japanese led to all sorts of headstong and suicidal war tactics the Banzai charge- lit Attack charge, and others, and the virtual suicidal task force of the Battleship Yamato and several cruisers and destroyers. The Japanese Destroyer commander Hara, who wrote the Book Japanese Destroyer Captain, was on a light cruiser in this fruitless engagement. the die-hard hawks would rather go down blazing in Glory and sue for peace even after the lost battles of Okinawa , etc. the Second Battle of Okinawa saw the one-shot sortie of the Barttleship Yamato and her task group- which Commander Hara was in, and survived. (he was on a cruiser, not the flagship!