Samurai in the Oregon Sky (オレゴンの空の侍)

A story of reconciliation between a Japanese pilot and American citizens, years after a little-known WWII attack.

2019

48 mins

In 1942, Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita conducted the only manned aerial bombings of the U.S. mainland during WWII. He never dreamed he would one day meet and peacefully reconcile with the American civilians who lived in the area. Samurai in the Oregon Sky chronicles how Mr. Fujita came to refer to his former target as his second home. (Available in English and Japanese language versions.)

Samurai in the Oregon Sky is an exceptional film, one that tells a beautiful story of peace and reconciliation. It’s a story that’s excellently told, and a story worth knowing.

Lee Juillerat

Herald and News

Synopsis

On September 9th, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-25 surfaced in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon. The I-25 had a top-secret design; it was an aircraft-carrying submarine, its existence unknown to Americans at the time. That morning, pilot Nobuo Fujita catapulted a plane off the deck of the submarine, flew over the forests of southern Oregon, and became the only enemy pilot to drop bombs on the U.S. mainland during WWII.

Twenty years later, a group of Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) wondered about the man who had bombed the forests just outside their town of Brookings, Oregon. They were looking for a project to embody their motto: “The brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations.” What if they tracked down this pilot and invited him to visit, in a show of peace?

What happened next began a 30-year friendship between Nobuo Fujita and the people of Brookings, Oregon. Samurai in the Oregon Sky tells the story of this peaceful reconciliation using never-before-seen archives, animation, and interviews with those who experienced these events. Available in both the English language version (with English subtitles) and the Japanese language version (with Japanese subtitles).

Reviews

“This short documentary is outstanding, dense with both style and content. It’s a fascinating story, and it deserves to be told and retold, especially with such a powerful and universal message. If it’s possible for a man who was ready to give his life to kill American soldiers to become a lifelong friend of a small town in Oregon, any attempt at restorative justice is possible… Highly recommended.”

J. Zimmerman

Video Librarian

Awards and Screenings

Audience Award - New York Japan Cinefest (2020)

Best Public Education Value - The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival (2020)

Most Inspirational - The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival (2020)

Finalist - The Midnight Film Festival (2021)

Pearl Harbor National Memorial WWII Film Festival (2020)

Taidama Virtual Pilgrimage Film Festival (2021)

Oregon Coast Film Festival (2020)

DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon (2020)

Eastern Oregon Film Festival (2019)

Indy Film Fest (2020)

Klamath Independent Film Festival (2019)

Astoria International Film Festival

Skyline Indie Film Fest (2019)

Arkhaios Film Festival (2019)

Covellite International Film Festival (2020)

Director Commentary

As a filmmaker and archivist, I’m always looking for important stories forgotten to time. One day, I learned that a Japanese pilot had bombed the forests of Oregon during WWII. I was shocked, but even more surprising was the extraordinary post-war friendship formed between this same pilot and a group of Oregonians. How did this happen? How could former enemies reconcile after a conflict as terrible as WWII? Searching for an answer, I met some of the people involved and found archives that had never been made public. They told an important yet forgotten story, exactly the kind I was passionate about telling. As I learned more, I knew I had to share this story, both so that it would not be forgotten and so that it could be interpreted by future generations facing their own conflicts.