In the chaotic aftermath of Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945, the remote and mountainous island chain of Kazeyama—long a marginal territory under nominal Japanese control—saw a rare window of opportunity.

For decades, Kazeyama had existed on the empire’s periphery. Isolated by rugged terrain and cultural distance, its people preserved a distinct identity—rooted in pre-Meiji traditions, spiritual autonomy, and a deep mistrust of imperial authority. Though conscripted and used as a naval communication outpost during the war, Kazeyama’s core leadership—comprised of local elders, scholars, and disenfranchised officers—quietly organized.

With the collapse of central command, mainland troops stationed in Kazeyama were recalled or surrendered. The region declared independence on September 3, 1945, presenting itself to the occupying Allied forces as a peaceful, self-sufficient society uninvolved in wartime atrocities and requesting recognition as a neutral, non-aligned state.