Known As The Queen Of Anatahan, She Spent Years Stuck On A Remote Japanese Island With Over 30 Men Who Eventually Tried To Kill Her
Can you imagine being stuck on a remote island, as a woman, with over 30 men? It’s a thought that doesn’t evoke many positive feelings. Really, it sounds like the stuff of nightmares. But, believe it or not, such a situation actually happened once before.
Many years ago, one woman lived with a group of 30 or so men on an island by the name of Anatahan. But how did she end up in that living situation? And what became of her? Here’s what happened.
During World War I, Japan captured Anatahan Island. The island then became used for the production of copra. Copra is the dried, white flesh of coconuts from which coconut oil is extracted. Of course, many Japanese citizens were interested in the industry.
The Japanese government announced that those who wanted to join the industry and stay on Anatahan Island would be offered “special benefits.” A girl named Kazuko arrived on the island in 1939 at the age of 16. She would later become known as the “Queen of Anatahan.”
Later, she got married to 18-year-old Shoichi Higa. Together, the couple supervised the coconut plantation and lived on the island with other coconut farmers. Soon, World War II began, although the island wasn’t affected by it at first.
When the United States attacked Japan, Anatahan Island was targeted as well. Kazuko survived the bombings, but Shoichi went missing. After the attacks destroyed the coconut plantation, all the workers left the island.
However, Kazuko and Masami Hinoshibe, Shoichi’s boss, decided to stay. Masami had a crush on Kazuko. Some speculate that the two killed Shoichi during the airstrike so they could be together.
The food supply on the island had been destroyed by the bombings. So, Kazuko and Masami had to live off of the 40 pigs and 20 chickens that survived. When that was gone, they resorted to catching fish and killing wild animals for food. They also used leaves to cover their bodies since they had no clothing to wear.
In June 1944, around 30 men arrived on Anatahan, a small deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They were survivors of a shipwreck. American planes had demolished their ship. Once they realized there was no way to return to the mainland, they adapted to life on the island.
ead72 – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Kazuko was the only woman among this large group of men. Of course, trouble was bound to happen.
There were numerous fights among the men, as they all wanted her attention. Eventually, they found out that Kazuko and Masami were not married. One of the sailors suggested they get married so that the other men would lose interest in her.
So, that’s what they did, but their marriage did not resolve the conflict on the island because of Kazuko’s complicated relationships with the men.
From time to time, the woman would shift her attention to a different man. After they had been together, the man always ended up dead.
One day, the ship captain’s body washed up from the sea. A few days later, the bodies of two men were found riddled with bullet holes. The remaining men became suspicious of each other.
Over the next few months, many died of poisoning. Others perished after falling out of trees. Some disappeared without a trace. Overall, 11 men died on the island.
In the meantime, World War II had ended, but the inhabitants of Anatahan Island had no idea.
Finally, in 1951, the men decided to stop competing over Kazuko and kill her since she was the source of their conflict.
When Kazuko discovered their plans, she made a run for it. She hid in the jungle for several weeks until she spotted a U.S. ship.
The ship took her to Japan. Upon her arrival in Japan, she described her experiences on Anatahan Island.
The Japanese government and the U.S. Army eventually rescued the men from the island. Kazuko’s story shows how one woman in a disadvantaged position relied on her strength and wits in the face of a unique set of challenges.
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