Takasago Volunteers
Taiwan's Forgotten Men On Kokoda

The Takasago Volunteers (高砂義勇隊, Takasago Giyūtai) were no ordinary soldiers. They were drawn from the heart of the rugged and untamed wilderness of Taiwan. Men forged by the land itself. Hailing from its indigenous tribes—peoples often overlooked, yet possessing a strength and resilience that the Imperial Japanese Army would soon come to rely on during the most desperate days of World War II.

With Japan’s victory in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894, the empire annexed Taiwan, and in its bid for supremacy, sought to transform the island and its people. While ethnic Taiwanese underwent cultural assimilation, it was the indigenous tribes who captivated the attention of the Japanese military. The Empire saw in them an untapped power—a raw, primal force perfect for the brutal warfare in Southeast Asia’s dense and unforgiving jungles. These men, hunter-gatherers by nature, thrived in the wild. They needed little in the way of supplies and sustenance, relying instead on their inherent ability to survive off the land. They would become Japan’s silent warriors, recruited in secret, their numbers hidden from prying eyes, but estimated to range between 1,800 and 5,000.

Under the harsh tutelage of the Nakano School, the center of Japan’s guerrilla and insurgency training, the Takasago Volunteers were initially relegated to transport and supply roles. Many applied to fight, writing their request in their own blood (apparently this was quite impressive to the Japanese). But as the tides of war turned against the Empire, the volunteers were thrust into the very heart of the conflict. Before long, they were no longer behind the lines—they were the tip of the spear. These warriors fought valiantly across the sweltering, perilous battlefields of the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies, the Solomon Islands, and New Guinea, including the infamous Kokoda Track. It was here, amidst the blood-soaked jungles, that they clashed with the forces of the United States and Australia, leaving a legacy of valor and fearlessness.

As Japan faced its final days, desperation led to unimaginable sacrifices. Among the most harrowing, 15 officers and 45 men from the Takasago Volunteers were chosen to join the Kaoru Special Attack Corps, a suicide unit destined to meet their fate on a U.S. airfield in Leyte. The Takasago were revered for their mastery of jungle survival, a skill that prolonged their struggle against overwhelming odds.

But perhaps the most haunting figure among them was Teruo Nakamura—born Attun Palalin—a lone shadow in the annals of history. An Amis warrior who evaded capture for nearly three decades, Nakamura was the last known Japanese holdout. For 29 long years after Japan’s surrender, he lingered in the wilderness of Morotai Island, refusing to acknowledge the end of the war. When he was finally discovered in December 1974, after 20 years of solitude, his survival marked the end of an era—a living ghost of the empire that had once been.

The Takasago Volunteers were more than mere soldiers—they were warriors of the wild, who defied the odds and became legends in the darkest chapters of World War II.

To find out more about the Kokoda Track click on the link below.