December 7, 1941, is remembered as the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, but it’s also the day the Ni’ihau Incident began. The incident, involving Shigenori Nishikaichi, a Japanese fighter pilot, and the inhabitants of the Hawaiian island of Ni’ihau, saw a confrontation that ended in the deaths of two individuals, yet is rarely discussed when the “day of infamy” is brought up.
Shigenori Nishikaichi crash-lands on Ni’ihau
When planning the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) knew that many of its aircraft would be damaged; they wouldn’t be able to safely return to their aircraft carriers and, as such, would need a rendezvous point. The tiny island of Ni’ihau was chosen, as it was only a 30-minute flight from the naval base and was believed to be uninhabited. There, the fighter pilots could await rescue via submarine.
This plan didn’t work as well as expected for Shigenori Nishikaichi when his Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero was damaged. The fighter hit a fence on Ni’ihau, before crashing and damaging its propellers and fuselage. The wreck came to a rest very close to one of the few inhabitants of the island, 29-year-old Hawila Kaleohano.
Kaleohano, along with other inhabitants, hadn’t heard of the attack at Pearl Harbor. He identified the crashed Zero as Japanese and was able to drag the semi-conscious man from the wreckage. He took Nishikaichi’s weapon and documents before the pilot regained consciousness.
Interacting with Ni’ihau’s inhabitants
The initial interaction between Hawila Kaleohano and Shigenori Nishikaichi was short because the former only spoke Hawaiian. Kaleohano called his neighbor, Japanese beekeeper Ishimatsu Shintani, who was able to talk with Nishikaichi. However, after a few words, he refused to speak any more.
This led to the Haradas being called. Yoshio and Irene were of Japanese descent and both spoke Japanese. They learned from the pilot that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, which they chose to keep a secret. Nishikaichi demanded that his weapon and papers be returned, but was denied.
Learning about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
At this point, the inhabitants of Ni’ihau were in high spirits and happy to help the downed aviator. They treated him to a luau, ate well and even sang songs while he waited to be rescued. However, the submarines didn’t come as planned, as they’d been ordered to patrol for American ships, instead.
As night fell, the mood turned as news of the day’s events arrived on the island. Ni’ihau didn’t have electricity, but it did have a battery-powered radio. The transmission brought news of the attack and the islanders realized they’d helped an enemy fighter.
Ni’ihau’s residents provided shelter overnight and took Shigenori Nishikaichi to the shore in the morning. There, they awaited the arrival of the island’s owner, Aylmer Robinson, who came each week. Robinson, however, didn’t arrive, given a temporary ban on sea travel.
After he failed to arrive, the Haradas offered to house Nishikaichi. The rest of the inhabitants agreed, so long as others could be stationed outside of the couple’s residence. These guards would take shifts, to ensure someone was always on watch.
Shigenori Nishikaichi took advantage of the Harada family
In the relative seclusion of their home, Shigenori Nishikaichi played on the loyalties of the Haradas. He slowly won over Yoshio and, to some extent, his wife. They agreed to help, and, on December 11, 1941, brought Ishimatsu Shintani back into the picture.
The following day, the beekeeper went to Hawila Kaleohano and asked for pilot’s papers and weapon. The request was refused, leading to Shintani being thrown out of the other man’s hut. The Haradas realized they wouldn’t be able to rely on their fellow compatriot, leading Yoshio and Nishikaichi to make their own plans.
While Shintani was with Kaleohano, Yoshio stole a shotgun and pistol. He readied the weapons and placed them in a warehouse, which was used for storing honey. The two overpowered the islander who was on guard duty and made their way to Kaleohano’s house. They broke in and searched for the papers, but Kaleohano had handed them over to a relative. The owner of the house was nowhere to be found.
Seeking help from the island’s owners
As the pair left the building, Hawila Kaleohano, who’d been hiding in the outhouse, made a run for it. Shigenori Nishikaichi took aim with the shotgun and fired at the fleeing man, but missed.
Kaleohano met with other islanders and gathered a few of them to accompany him to Kaua’i. The 10-hour boat trip took them to representatives of the island’s owners. The group set out while someone lit a beacon atop Mount Pānī’au, which was visible from Kaua’i.
Chaos ensues on Ni’ihau
On the night of December 12, 1941, everything came to a head. Shigenori Nishikaichi and Yoshio Harada stormed the town and took hostages. They demanded Hawila Kaleohano be handed over or else everyone would be killed.
One man who pretended to look for Kaleohano was Benehakaka Kanahele, whose wife was one of the hostages. After stalling and pretending to look for the man, he urged Harada to take the pilot’s pistol. He refused, but did ask Nishikaichi for the shotgun.
As the aviator started to hand the gun over, Kanahele lunged at him. Nishikaichi was faster and pulled the pistol from his boot, shooting the man three times. This wasn’t enough to stop the enraged Kanahele, who hoisted Nishikaichi into the air and threw him against a stone wall. Kanahele’s wife grabbed a rock and bashed the pilot’s head, before her husband pulled a knife and cut his throat. Seeing this, Harada turned the shotgun on himself and took his own life.
Aylmer Robinson and reinforcements from Kaua’i arrived the next day and arrested Ishimatsu Shintani and Irene Harada. The latter was imprisoned for her role, while the former was interned in a camp.
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Kanahele recovered from his wounds and received the Purple Heart, two Presidential Citations and Medal for Merit. Kaleohano was presented the Medal of Freedom in 1946, for his actions during the incident.