PRESS CONFERENCE
80th Anniversary of World War II Series
"Memories of a World War II pilot" 
Tatsukuma Ueno, former pilot of the Imperial Japanese Army’s 66th Squadron

14:00-15:00 Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

With few surviving World War II veterans able to tell their tale 80 years after the end of the conflict, the FCCJ is proud to host a press conference by Tatsukuma Ueno, a former pilot of the Imperial Japanese Army’s 66th Squadron.

Mr. Ueno, now 97 years old, offers a rare and deeply personal perspective on Japan’s military history and the lessons of war. His appearance is arranged through the Tokkotai Memorial and Commemoration Association, which works to remember those who served in the Special Attack Forces. 

In April 1944, Mr Ueno was officially selected as a flight soldier and assigned to the Keijo (present-day Seoul) training unit of the Tachiarai Army Aviation School. He underwent flight training on the Type 95 Intermediate Trainer (nicknamed "Akatombo" or "Red Dragonfly") and acquired piloting skills. In August of that year, he became a crew member of the Type 99 Assault Plane in Pyongyang (present-day North Korea), where he was involved in training, and ferrying special attack (kamikaze) aircraft as an assistant instructor. 

In May 1945, he was transferred to the 66th Flight Regiment at Bansei Airfield in Kagoshima Prefecture, which was engaged in air operations over Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa ended before he could sortie, and he relocated to the North Tachiarai Airfield.

Following Japan’s surrender, his unit was disbanded, and he left his military life behind to reside at his uncle’s house in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

How to attend: 
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in and giving your name and contact details at the reception.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live  

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/6DdDbBsE56Po8Z1h8

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.

Professional Activities Committee