Masamitsu Yoshioka, who was a navigator and bombardier during the air attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, has died at the age of 106. His death was announced on August 28 via social media by Japanese journalist Takashi Hayasaki. Yoshioka was the last survivor of the initial group of about 770 airmen who participated in the famous raid on the US naval port in Hawaii.

During the attack, Yoshioka, then 23 years old, was serving aboard a Nakajima B5N2 torpedo bomber. Before learning that their mission would be to strike American soil, he and his crew had undergone intensive training. At the time of the attack, the target was the "USS Utah", a training ship, which suffered severe damage. When his aircraft returned to the aircraft carrier "Soryu", the "USS Utah" had suffered 58 casualties.

In the decades following the war, Yoshioka often reflected on the grave consequences of his actions and the human cost of the conflict. He expressed regret and sorrow for the lives lost in the war, hoping for a peaceful future. He found solace in visiting the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where he prayed for the souls of his fallen comrades.

His reflections on the meaning of war and peace remain a powerful reminder of the complexity of war experiences and their long-term repercussions.