Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Onceagain,hebelievedtheairdroptobeatrickbytheAmericans.Onceagain,heandhismenstoodandcontinuedtofight.

           AnotherfewyearswentbyandthePhilippinelocals,sickofbeingterrorized,finallyarmedthemselvesandbeganfiringback.By1959,oneofOnoda’scompanionshadsurrendered,andanotherhadbeenkilled.Then,adecadelater,Onoda’slastcompanion,amancalledKozuka,waskilledinashootoutwiththelocalpolicewhilehewasburningricefields—stillwagingwaragainstthelocalpopulationafullquarter-centuryaftertheendofWorldWarII!

           Onoda,havingnowspentmorethanhalfofhislifeinthejunglesofLubang,wasallalone.

           In1972,thenewsofKozuka’sdeathreachedJapanandcausedastir.TheJapanesepeoplethoughtthelastofthesoldiersfromthewarhadcomehomeyearsearlier.TheJapanesemediabegantowonder:ifKozukahadstillbeenonLubanguntil1972,thenperhapsOnodahimself,thelastknownJapaneseholdoutfromWorldWarII,mightstillbealiveaswell.Thatyear,boththeJapaneseandPhilippinegovernmentssentsearchpartiestolookfortheenigmaticsecondlieutenant,nowpartmyth,parthero,andpartghost.

           Theyfoundnothing.

           Asthemonthsprogressed,thestoryofLieutenantOnodamorphedintosomethingofanurbanlegendinJapan—thewarherowhosoundedtooinsanetoactuallyexist.Manyromanticizedhim.Otherscriticizedhim.Othersthoughthewasthestuffoffairytale,inventedbythosewhostillwantedtobelieveinaJapanthathaddisappearedlongago.