A lone voice

Kenzo Okuzaki, 85, died quietly on June 16 in the city of Kobe. But the Japanese Imperial Army veteran - who fought in New Guinea during the second world war - was far from just another quiet old soldier. He was so extraordinary that his death reminded many Japanese, including myself, of their post-war journey.

During his remarkable life he shook the nation, more than once, with his unconventional and provocative actions.

Okuzaki made newspaper headlines first in 1969, when he used a slingshot to shoot steel balls at then-emperor Hirohito. Okuzaki was immediately arrested and spent the next 18 months in prison. On release, he continued to shock his fellow countrymen with open accusations that the emperor was a war criminal - a taboo subject in Japan.

Seven years later, he made fliers showing the emperor in pornographic images, and tossed them off the roofs of three department stores.

But he really hit the publicity big-time in a 1987 documentary film, Yuki Yukite Shingun (The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On), directed by Kazuo Hara. The film followed Okuzaki on his one-man crusade to solve a gruesome mystery: were two of his fellow soldiers killed by their officers 23 days after the war ended? In the movie, Okuzaki interviewed former commanders and ex-soldiers he served with.

His behaviour seemed demented at times. An emotional, moody Okuzaki virtually hurled his questions at them. He struck some of them. And he openly accused one or two of killing the two soldiers - either to keep them quiet or to eat them: cannibalism was a dirty little secret among the starving soldiers.