Pottery from the family of Shoichi Yokoi

Last week, The Guam Museum recently received a donation of pottery from the family of Shoichi Yokoi, the last Japanese straggler captured in Guam.

Yokoi was one of many Japanese soldiers who chose to hide in Guam’s jungles and caves rather than surrender at the end of World War II. Most were found within a few months or years. Yokoi remained hidden for 28 years until two CHamoru hunters, Manuel De Gracia and Jesus Dueñas found him.

The Guam Museum has many items in its collection detailing Yokoi’s years in hiding, including most of the tools or clothes that he used to survive. This donation helps to document the years after Yokoi’s return to Japan. Prior to passing away in 1997, Yokoi regularly retold his story to universities, community groups and even holding classes on survival training. He remade all the tools he had used in Guam to help illustrate his experiences and after he passed his widow placed them into a museum in Nagoya.

After the passing of Yokoi’s widow Mihoko in 2022, his memorial museum closed. The Japanese Consulate of Hagåtña offered to facilitate communication with Yokoi’s nephew, Osaka Jogakuin University Professor Omi Hatashin, about the possibility of any of the remaining Japan collection being donated to the Guam Museum.

The creation of pottery was something that helped Yokoi find peace in his final years and the family has chosen to donate to the Guam Museum more than a dozen of his pieces. Si Yu’os Ma’åse to the family of Yokoi for their donation and to the Japanese Consulate of Hagåtña for their assistance in receiving this gift.

Images are courtesy of Guam Museum assistant Kay Quidachay.