Sakae Ōba

(21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He served in both China and in the Pacific campaign. After Japanese forces were defeated in the Battle of Saipan, he led a group of soldiers and civilians deep into the jungle to evade capture by Allied forces. Under Ōba's leadership, the group survived for over a year after the battle and finally surrendered in December 1945, three months after the war had ended. Following his return to Japan, he became a successful businessman and served on the city council of Gamagōri.

Early life Sakae Ōba was born on 21 March 1914 in the town of Gamagori, Aichi prefecture. He was the first son of Isuke Ōba, a farmer. In March 1933, Ōba graduated from the Aichi Prefecture Teacher Training School of Practical Education and the following month he accepted a faculty position at a public school in the area. He was designated a Ground Officer Candidate, First Class, received specialized training, and was sent to Manchukuo, where the bulk of the 18th Regiment was already stationed on occupation duty. In 1936, the regiment returned to its home garrison in Toyohashi, and Ōba was briefly reunited with his wife.

In July 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War erupted, and the 18th Infantry was mobilized. In August, Ōba and his regiment were deployed to China where they joined the amphibious invasion of Shanghai. By December of that year, Ōba had been promoted to second lieutenant. In 1939, he was promoted to first lieutenant, and in November 1941 he was given command of an infantry company. In March 1943 he was promoted to captain. The ship sank, taking with it over half the regiment. Escort vessels moved in quickly and rescued about 1,800 survivors and delivered them to Saipan. After hasty reorganization, most of the regiment was successfully transported to Guam. Almost 600 troops, including Captain Ōba, had to be left behind on Saipan. Ōba was assigned to organize a 225-man medical company composed of tankers, engineers, and medics that survived the Sakito-maru disaster. They obtained what few medical supplies were available and by mid-May had set up a medical aid station.

On the morning of 15 June 1944, United States Marines landed on the beaches for the Battle of Saipan. After 15 hours of intense and unrelenting hand to hand combat, almost 4,300 Japanese soldiers were dead. Allied forces declared the island secured on 9 July 1944. By 30 September 1944, the Japanese Army made an official presumption of death for all personnel of unknown status and they were declared killed in action. That included Captain Ōba, and he was awarded a "posthumous" promotion to major. At the peak of the hunt for Ōba, the Marine commander devised a plan in which his men would line up across the width of the island, about two meters separating one Marine from the next, and they were to march from the south end of the island to the north. The commander felt that Ōba and his men would have to fight, surrender, or be driven north and eventually captured. Due to this dragnet, the elderly and infirm civilians volunteered to surrender. Although some of the soldiers wanted to fight, Captain Ōba asserted that their primary concerns were to protect the civilians and to stay alive to continue the war. As the line of Marines approached the area, most of the remaining soldiers and civilians climbed up to a concealed mountain clearing, while others stood on narrow ledges and clung to the side of the mountain. They maintained their precarious positions for most of the day, as the Marines crossed through the area, ransacking huts and gardens when they found them. In some places, the Japanese on the ledges were less than above the heads of the Marines. The Marines' search proved futile, and eventually led to the chagrined commander's reassignment. On 27 November 1945, former Major General Umahachi Amō, commander of the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade during the Battle of Saipan, They were the last organized resistance of Japanese forces on Saipan.

Post-war After the Japanese government confirmed that Ōba was alive on Saipan, his "posthumous" promotion was rescinded. Following his release from Allied custody, he was repatriated. Once back in Japan, Ōba was reunited with his wife and met his son for the first time; the child had been born in 1937, just after his father had left for China.

Don Jones, a former U.S. Marine stationed on Saipan and once part of a group ambushed by Ōba's men, was intrigued by the story of the Japanese holdouts and sought out Ōba after the war. It became a popular success, and the English version was published in 1986 under the title Oba, The Last Samurai: Saipan 1944–1945. Hisamitsu showed the letters to his cousin, Keiichiro Hirano, a novelist and the 1998 recipient of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize. Hirano was deeply moved by what he read in the wartime correspondence, and helped find a local publisher. portraying the struggles of Ōba and his group on Saipan, as well as the Marines' relentless manhunt. It was produced by Toho Pictures, under the direction of Hideyuki Hirayama; involved production units from Japan, the United States, and Thailand; In preparation for the role, Takenouchi met with Hisamitsu Ōba and the two of them paid their respects at the grave of Sakae Ōba.