Hiroo Onoda finally surrendered in 1974 after hiding in the Philippines for decades.
Onoda was a Japanese army intelligence officer assigned to Lubang Island in the Philippines in 1944. His orders emphasized guerrilla warfare and instructed him not to surrender. After Japan’s 1945 surrender, Onoda and several companions continued hiding in the island’s forests because they believed the war was still continuing.
Three of his companions died or left the group over the following years. Onoda remained in hiding until former Japanese Army officer Norio Suzuki located him in February 1974. Onoda agreed to surrender only after his former commanding officer, Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, traveled to the Philippines and formally rescinded his orders.
Onoda’s case illustrates that Japan’s surrender did not immediately end all isolated resistance. He was not the last Japanese soldier to emerge, but he became one of the most famous long-term holdouts.