Kon'nichiwa ! My name is Lt. Hiroo Onoda
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< meIn 1944, I was sent by the Japanese army to the remote Philippine island of Lubang .My mission was to conduct guerrilla warfare during World War II. Unfortunately, I was never officially told the war had ended; so for 29 years, I continued to live in the jungle, ready for when my country would again need my services and information. Eating coconuts and bananas and deftly evading searching parties I believed were enemy scouts, Onoda hid in the jungle until he finally emerged from the dark recesses of the island on March 19, 1972. 
Called to Duty
I was 20 years-old when he was called up to join the army. At the time, I was far from home working at a branch of the Tajima Yoko trading company in Hankow (now Wuhan), China. After passing my physical, I quit my job and returned to my home in Wakayama, Japan in August of 1942 to get into top physical condition.
In the Japanese army, I was trained as an officer and was then chosen to be trained at an Imperial Army intelligence school. At this school, I was taught how to gather intelligence and how to conduct guerrilla warfare.
Surrender
In October 1972, at the age of 51 and after 27 years of hiding, Kozuka(my friend) was killed during a clash with a Filipino patrol. Though I had been officially declared dead in December 1959 Kozuka's body proved the likelihood that I was still living. Search parties were sent out to find me, but none succeeded.
I was now on my own. Remembering the division commander's order, I could not kill myself yet I no longer had a single soldier to command. I continued to hide.
In 1974, a college dropout named Norio Suzuki decided to travel to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Nepal, and perhaps a few other countries on his way. He told his friends that he was going to search for Lt. Onoda (me), a panda, and the Abominable Snowman. Where so many others had failed, Suzuki succeeded. He found me and tried to convince me that the war was over. I explained that I would only surrender if my commander ordered me to do so.
Suzuki traveled back to Japan and found my former commander, Major Taniguchi, who had become a bookseller. On March 9, 1974, Suzuki and Taniguchi met me at a preappointed place and Major Taniguchi read the orders that stated all combat activity was to be ceased. I was shocked and, at first, disbelieving. It took some time for the news to sink in.
Norio Suzuki with me, the day Suzuki found me
During the 30 years that I had remain hidden on Lubang island, me and my men had killed at least 30 Filipinos and had wounded approximately 100 others. After formally surrendering to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos pardoned me for my crimes while in hiding.
When I reached Japan, he was hailed a hero. Life in Japan was much different than when I had left it in 1944. I bought a ranch and moved to Brazil. In May 1996, I returned to the Philippines to see once again the island on which I had hidden for 30 years.
Arigatō~
