32 Men and One Woman: The Shocking Truth of Anatahan Island

Imagine a tiny island lost in the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic rocks, tropical heat, coconut palms and… 32 men fighting for the attention of one woman. This is not a Hollywood movie plot, but a real story that unfolded on the island of Anatahan at the end of World War II. Let's dive into this incredible drama, full of passion, intrigue and tragedy.

Anatahan is a small volcanic island, part of the Mariana Islands, with an area of only 33.9 km². It was first discovered by the Spaniards during the Age of Discovery, but they were not impressed by the find and sold the patch of volcanic land to the Germans. They, in turn, sold Anatahan to the Japanese.

The island has no strategic value, and the military was not interested in it. However, it turned out to be very promising for agriculture. The soil, enriched with volcanic ash, as well as the mild climate, created excellent conditions for coconut palms. That is why the Japanese decided to set up plantations on the island.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, an official named Kikuichiro Higu arrived in Anatahan. He was given charge of the plantation, which employed 45 people. His relative Shoichi Higu came with him and took the position of deputy. He brought his 28-year-old wife Kazuko with him.

When the war broke out, the island became dangerous. The workers left Anatahan, and only Kikuichiro Higu and Shoichi Higu and his wife remained. Soon Shoichi also left. He went to find his sister, who lived on the island of Saipan, 120 kilometers south of Anatahan. He left his wife in the care of a relative, promising to return in a month. But no one on the island saw him again.

Kazuko and Kikuichiro spent two years on the island together, and a romantic relationship developed between them. They even decided to get married when they returned to Japan. Life on this abandoned island turned out to be quite comfortable, and the lovers felt quite happy. The war had passed this paradise on Earth and thundered somewhere far beyond the horizon. Only occasionally did planes fly over the island, and battleships smoking from their pipes could be seen on the horizon.

The idyll ended in June 1944. Then American military planes attacked and sank several Japanese ships near the island. 32 sailors, together with the captain, managed to reach land in lifeboats. On the shore they were warmly greeted by Kikuichiro and his girlfriend. They were sincerely happy to have new company, not even guessing what this event would lead to.

For many months, the forced inhabitants of the island lived as if in paradise. Plantations and vegetable gardens supplied them with fruits and vegetables, and the sea – with fish and crabs. The residents even took up making homemade coconut wine. The war was still somewhere far away. Only once did it remind them of itself: in 1945, a shot down American B-29 bomber fell near the island. The islanders took parts of the aluminum casing from the water to make dishes, as well as several parachutes, the fabric of which was used for sewing clothes.

Yoshino didn't even suspect that Kazuko was secretly dating another sailor, Morio Chiba. He, not wanting to share the woman with anyone, stabbed Gensaburo to death. Captain Yoshida, who was watching what was happening, realized that if the situation did not change, the men on the island would kill each other because of Kazuko. Then he decided to marry her off to the strongest and most aggressive sailor, Riichiro Yanagibashi.

Neither physical strength nor cruelty saved Riichiro. Soon after the wedding, he mysteriously drowned while swimming in the sea. After that, Kazuko managed to get together with four more men, who were quickly killed by their competitors. The sailors nicknamed her "Queen Bee". It was not only lust that drove her to kill men, but also the desire to take control of the plantation, since formally it was Kazuko who ran the business.

Thus, one after another, 11 men died. The last one received 13 stab wounds during a fight. In July 1950, the sailors realized that the only way to stop the bloodshed was to kill Kazuko. But she overheard their conversation and fled, taking with her the only radio.

The woman hid in the jungle, in a remote part of the island, and was soon able to leave it. There are two versions of what happened. According to one, she sent a radio signal to a passing American ship, and a boat was sent for her. According to another, the signal was intercepted by a Japanese man who collaborated with the United States, who took her away on a small yacht. As a result, Kazuko soon found herself in Japan.

Her story made her a local celebrity. She toured Japanese cities, telling stories about life on Anatahan with 32 sailors. On posters she was listed as none other than the "Queen of Anatahan." When interest in the story faded, Kazuko returned home to Okinawa. There she met her missing husband Shoichi Higa, who remarried her. Little is known about the subsequent fate of the "queen"; it is only certain that she died in the mid-1970s.

The sailors who remained on Anatahan lived in isolation for another year. The Americans periodically dropped leaflets over the island, announcing the end of the war, but the Japanese did not believe them. They were convinced to leave the island only when letters from the sailors' relatives began to be dropped on the island.

On June 30, 1951, the last inhabitants of the island surrendered, waving white flags on the beach. By this point, less than half of the original survivors remained alive. Some died from disease and accidents, but many died at the hands of their own comrades.

After that, the island was not empty for long. Residents of one of the northern islands of the Mariana archipelago moved to Anatahan and restored coconut plantations. They lived there until 1990, when they were evacuated due to a series of earthquakes accompanied by tsunamis. Since then, the island has become uninhabited. In 2007 and 2008, it suffered two volcanic eruptions, and is now considered uninhabitable.

The tragic story of the 32 men and Kazuko has inspired many writers and filmmakers. The most famous film about the events at Anatahan was the 1953 drama The Saga of Anatahan by director Josef von Sternberg. We used footage from it to illustrate our story.

It is interesting that the authors show Kazuko differently. Some portray her as a victim who fell captive to circumstances, while others portray her as a cunning seductress who manipulated men for her own interests. Only the heroes of this sad story knew how everything really happened. Do you think you would be able to maintain your humanity and common sense if you found yourself in a similar situation? Share your opinion in the comments!