“We will die for the Emperor without looking back” - with this song the kamikazes went to their death without hesitation. Their emblem was the chrysanthemum, and their distinctive sign was the “hachimaki”, a white headband symbolizing the steadfastness of their intentions. As a result of their suicide attacks, more than eighty American ships were sunk and about two hundred were damaged. In August 1945, Soviet troops liberating Manchuria, Korea and China also had to deal with Japanese suicide bombers. But neither the self-denial and mass heroism of the kamikaze, nor the legendary fortitude of the “samurai” saved the Kwantung Army from defeat, and the Japanese Empire from a shameful surrender... The author of this novel, a veteran of the war against Japan, had a chance to personally talk with captured pilots and sailors who had undergone training kamikazes, but did not have time to go on the last mission (the Japanese had three times more such volunteer suicide bombers than special aircraft and torpedoes). Their stories formed the basis of this book - the first Russian novel about kamikazes.