Ghosts of Honolulu Summary and Analysis

Ghosts of Honolulu is a 2023 narrative nonfiction book by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr. that delves into the hidden stories of espionage leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

The book centers on lesser-known figures within the world of intelligence, focusing on a Japanese spy sent to monitor U.S. military operations in Hawaii and a Japanese American who works in Naval Intelligence. It paints a gripping picture of the moral complexities faced by Japanese Americans during World War II, as well as the community’s patriotic contributions, despite the suspicion and discrimination many endured.

Summary

Douglas Wada, an American of Japanese ancestry, is raised in Hawaii by Issei parents and grows up deeply connected to his cultural roots. After attending McKinley High, a predominantly Japanese school, Wada’s immersion in American culture leads his parents to send him to Japan in fear that he’s losing touch with his heritage. 

Wada spends five years in Japan before returning to Hawaii just as tensions between the U.S. and Japan rise, having renounced his Japanese citizenship to avoid conscription. Back home, he attends the University of Hawaii, where he meets Ken Ringle, a Navy officer seeking trusted Japanese Americans for the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). 

After extensive background checks, Wada is recruited into Naval Intelligence as an interpreter, translator, and, on occasion, an undercover agent. Meanwhile, Takeo Yoshikawa, a former Japanese Navy ensign disillusioned with his career, is recruited by Japan’s intelligence service to spy on the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

As war looms, Wada and his colleagues in Hawaii face growing concerns about the Japanese community, especially with the presence of spies within the Japanese consulate. 

The FBI, led by Special Agent Robert Shivers, intensifies its surveillance of Japanese residents and begins compiling lists of potential detainees. Although many within the military push for mass arrests, Ringle argues that most Japanese Americans in Hawaii are loyal to the U.S. Wada settles into family life in Hawaii, but U.S. intelligence knows that the Japanese consulate is a hub of espionage activity.

While American intelligence increases its monitoring of Japanese diplomats and civilians, Yoshikawa arrives in Hawaii under the guise of a Japanese consulate staff member named Tadashi Morimura. 

He meticulously tracks U.S. naval activities, photographing and reporting on fleet movements. His covert efforts, aided by local Japanese American drivers, provide vital intelligence for Japan’s planned attack on Pearl Harbor. As the attack approaches, U.S. officials begin intercepting signs of imminent war, but critical warnings fail to reach Pearl Harbor in time.

On December 7, 1941, Japan launches its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Yoshikawa’s espionage directly contributes to the devastation, but his cover as a consulate staff member holds up for a time. 

Following the attack, the consulate is raided, and Yoshikawa is arrested, though he remains largely unscathed due to diplomatic immunity. As the U.S. declares war on Japan, widespread suspicion falls on Japanese Americans, leading to the mass detention of Japanese communities on the West Coast, though Hawaii’s Japanese population remains less affected.

In the aftermath, Wada aids the U.S. war effort by interrogating Japanese prisoners and participating in the war tribunal efforts in post-war Japan. Despite attempts to bring key figures like Yoshikawa to justice, most evade punishment.

The book concludes with Wada’s father, hopeful for the future of their family in Hawaii despite the hardships they endured during the war.

Characters

Douglas Wada

Douglas Wada is one of the central characters in Ghosts of Honolulu, and his journey reflects the tension of identity faced by many Japanese Americans during World War II. Born to traditional Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrant) parents in Hawaii, Wada represents the duality of being both American and Japanese.

His upbringing in Hawaii’s predominantly Japanese community exposes him to American culture, which he embraces, especially in his love for baseball and cars. However, his parents’ concerns about him losing touch with his Japanese heritage lead them to send him to Japan.

This period of his life in Japan deepens his understanding of both cultures, but also heightens his anxieties about war, forcing him to flee back to Hawaii. Wada’s recruitment into the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) positions him as a bridge between two worlds.

As a trusted interpreter and sometimes undercover spy, Wada serves the American government while navigating the suspicion and scrutiny that came with being of Japanese descent in the prelude to war. His loyalty to America is unquestionable, but his work places him in the uncomfortable position of monitoring his own community, which is under suspicion from US intelligence.

His marriage and growing family further complicate his personal stakes as he becomes more deeply involved in the US war effort. Despite these challenges, Wada’s journey is one of perseverance and moral complexity, as he strives to prove the loyalty of Japanese Americans while aiding in the war against Japan.

Takeo Yoshikawa

Takeo Yoshikawa is the Japanese spy tasked with monitoring the US Naval Fleet in Hawaii. A disgruntled former ensign in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Yoshikawa’s motivations stem from a deep sense of dissatisfaction and nationalism.

His character contrasts sharply with Wada, as Yoshikawa fully embraces his role in the Japanese war effort, meticulously preparing for his mission over several years. He learns English, studies US Navy ships, and adopts a new identity, “Tadashi Morimura,” to blend in while conducting surveillance on the Pacific Fleet.

Yoshikawa is portrayed as cunning and determined, successfully operating as a spy under the cover of being a consular staff member in Hawaii. His actions directly contribute to the success of the Pearl Harbor attack, making him one of the key agents behind the assault.

Despite the pivotal role he plays, Yoshikawa’s eventual fate is somewhat anticlimactic; he is arrested and deported in a spy exchange, avoiding punishment for his involvement in the attack and subsequent war crimes. His survival and evasion of consequences underscore the complexities of wartime justice, particularly in the context of espionage and international diplomacy.

Ken Ringle

Ken Ringle, a Navy commander and Wada’s older classmate, plays a significant role in shaping the intelligence operations in Hawaii and later on the West Coast. He is portrayed as a level-headed, pragmatic officer who understands the potential of Japanese Americans to contribute to the war effort, rather than viewing them solely as a threat.

His recruitment of Wada into the ONI signals his trust in Japanese Americans, despite the growing paranoia surrounding their loyalties. Ringle’s advocacy for Japanese Americans, particularly in his attempts to demonstrate their loyalty to the US military, sets him apart from many of his contemporaries who were eager to view them as fifth columnists.

When Ringle is reassigned to California, his role in tackling the “Japanese Problem” becomes even more critical. He works to prevent the wholesale incarceration of Japanese Americans.

His leadership and reasoned approach contrast with the more extreme voices calling for the mass detention of the entire Japanese population. Ringle’s efforts reflect the internal divisions within US intelligence and the government regarding the treatment of Japanese Americans during the war.

Robert Shivers

Robert Shivers, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in Hawaii, is another significant figure in the story. He represents the more hawkish side of US intelligence, advocating for aggressive measures against Japanese residents and consulate staff.

Shivers’ role in setting up a field office to monitor the Japanese population and create detention lists reveals the level of suspicion and paranoia that permeated the intelligence community in the lead-up to the Pearl Harbor attack. His attempts to have the entire Japanese consulate staff arrested, which are ultimately denied by the Roosevelt administration, demonstrate the lengths to which he is willing to go to mitigate perceived threats.

Shivers is a key figure in the surveillance and monitoring efforts against the Japanese consulate. This leads to the eventual arrests following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

His efforts, however, are not without moral ambiguity, as they raise questions about civil liberties and the treatment of Japanese Americans during the war.

Gero Iwai

Gero Iwai, like Wada, is a Japanese American working within the intelligence community. As an officer in the Army Corps of Intelligence Police (CIP), Iwai represents another example of Japanese Americans serving their country during a time when their loyalty was under suspicion.

His role in monitoring the Japanese population and participating in intelligence efforts highlights the internal conflicts faced by Japanese Americans who were asked to surveil their own communities. Iwai’s collaboration with Wada in interrogating a captured Japanese submariner following the attack on Pearl Harbor underscores the importance of their work.

Yet, his character also reflects the broader theme of the often unrecognized contributions of Japanese Americans during the war.

Nagar Kita

Nagar Kita, the Japanese consul general in Hawaii, is the handler for Takeo Yoshikawa and plays a key role in facilitating espionage efforts leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack. His character is emblematic of Japan’s covert operations and the strategic planning that went into the surprise assault.

As a high-ranking diplomat, Kita is able to provide Yoshikawa with cover, allowing him to operate freely in Hawaii. His involvement in the spy network highlights the diplomatic manipulation that accompanied Japan’s military ambitions.

Otto Kuehn

Otto Kuehn, a Nazi spy recruited by Yoshikawa, adds another layer of intrigue to the story. His role in assisting the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, despite being a German national, showcases the complex web of alliances and espionage that defined Axis collaboration during World War II.

Kuehn’s involvement further demonstrates the global scale of intelligence operations during the war. It also highlights the shared goals of Axis powers in undermining the Allied forces.

Masai Marumoto

Masai Marumoto, a respected attorney in Hawaii, is instrumental in rallying Nisei (American-born Japanese) support for the US war effort. His character represents the internal conflict within the Japanese American community, many of whom felt the pressure to prove their loyalty to America in the face of widespread suspicion.

Marumoto’s efforts to mobilize the Nisei reflect the broader theme of Japanese American patriotism and the desire to demonstrate their allegiance. This occurred even as they faced discrimination and the threat of internment.

Analysis 

The Complex Identity of Japanese-Americans and National Loyalty in Wartime

The theme of identity and national loyalty runs as a central thread throughout Ghosts of Honolulu. Douglas Wada’s journey encapsulates the fraught reality of being an American of Japanese ancestry during the years leading up to and during World War II.

Wada, a Nisei, is caught between two cultural worlds—his parents’ traditional Japanese heritage and his immersion in American life, symbolized by his fascination with baseball and cars. His personal struggle mirrors the larger societal question of where Japanese Americans’ loyalties lie, a question that became a matter of intense scrutiny in the lead-up to Pearl Harbor.

The novel explores the precarious position of Japanese Americans, who were seen as potential traitors despite many, like Wada, being deeply loyal to the United States. The dilemma is amplified by his time in Japan, which raises suspicions about his allegiances when war appears imminent, leading to questions about whether a person’s ethnicity can ever be disentangled from their loyalty to a nation.

This theme complicates the black-and-white narrative of war by revealing the shades of gray that exist when individuals are caught between competing national identities. As Wada navigates his role within the US military, the novel reveals the contradictions and challenges Japanese Americans faced: while being viewed as potential fifth columnists, many of them worked to prove their loyalty.

The Intersection of Espionage, Ethnicity, and Prejudice in Intelligence Work

Another significant theme in Ghosts of Honolulu is the uneasy relationship between espionage and ethnicity within the framework of wartime intelligence. The novel portrays both the Japanese and American intelligence communities as grappling with the complex role ethnicity plays in espionage, with Wada and Yoshikawa symbolizing opposing sides of the same coin.

Wada’s role as an undercover spy for the ONI and his unique ability to interpret Japanese language and culture make him invaluable to US intelligence. Simultaneously, Yoshikawa, a Japanese spy sent to the US under an assumed identity, utilizes his fluency in English and deep understanding of American military operations to further Japan’s espionage efforts.

This dynamic highlights the suspicion that intelligence agencies harbored toward people of Japanese descent, even those working within their own ranks. The tension between utilizing Japanese Americans like Wada for their linguistic and cultural expertise, while simultaneously viewing them with mistrust, creates a paradox that the novel deftly explores.

The intelligence apparatus in Hawaii, led by figures like Lt. Cmdr. Ken Ringle, must navigate the thin line between tapping into the knowledge of Japanese Americans and protecting national security from infiltration. This intersection of espionage and prejudice lays bare the difficulties of counterintelligence efforts, where the line between friend and foe can often blur due to racial biases.

The Politics of Internment, Surveillance, and Civil Liberties

A key theme explored in the book is the tension between national security and civil liberties, particularly as it relates to the internment of Japanese Americans and the extensive surveillance efforts conducted by US intelligence. The novel addresses the broader political landscape, where fear of espionage and sabotage led to the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans, despite the clear evidence presented by Ringle and others that the majority of Japanese Americans were loyal to the US.

The theme underscores how wartime hysteria and racial prejudice combined to create policies that deeply infringed upon the civil liberties of an entire ethnic group. In parallel, the book examines the extensive surveillance measures employed by the FBI, ONI, and other agencies, including wiretapping and monitoring of the Japanese consulate in Hawaii.

The intelligence services’ attempts to uncover Japanese spies involved widespread suspicion of Japanese residents, with figures like Robert Shivers creating detention lists long before Pearl Harbor. The narrative raises difficult questions about the ethical dimensions of such surveillance—while it ultimately exposed actual espionage activity, it also resulted in the mass criminalization of an entire community based on ethnicity.

The surveillance and internment efforts represent not just a battle against enemy infiltration but also a battle against the ideals of democracy and civil rights in wartime.

The Role of Cultural Translation and Miscommunication in Wartime Intelligence

The novel also explores the crucial role of cultural translation in wartime intelligence and the frequent miscommunications that occur between military authorities and foreign cultures. Wada’s work as a translator and interpreter underscores the importance of understanding cultural nuances when engaging in espionage or intelligence work.

The theme of cultural translation is layered with both practical and symbolic significance—Wada’s ability to bridge the linguistic and cultural gap between Japan and the US represents not just a military asset but also a profound act of loyalty to his country. On the other hand, the novel also portrays the catastrophic consequences of miscommunication and misinterpretation between the US and Japan.

The intelligence community’s failure to fully comprehend the signs of an impending attack on Pearl Harbor, even with intercepted communications, highlights the limits of intelligence work when it is filtered through cultural misunderstandings or bureaucratic inefficiencies. Miscommunication exacerbates the tension between Japanese Americans and the US military, as the latter struggles to trust its Japanese American citizens and assets.

The novel thus suggests that wars are often won or lost based on the ability to translate not only language but also intent and meaning across cultural divides.

Post-War Justice, Accountability, and Historical Memory

Finally, Ghosts of Honolulu touches on the theme of post-war justice and accountability, particularly through its exploration of the fates of figures like Takeo Yoshikawa and other members of the Japanese spy network. The novel questions the concept of justice in the aftermath of war, as many of those involved in the Pearl Harbor attack, including Yoshikawa, are never punished for their roles.

Instead, Yoshikawa reintegrates into Japanese society and lives out his life without facing the consequences of his espionage activities or his participation in the torture of US prisoners of war. This theme raises critical questions about how history remembers—or conveniently forgets—those responsible for wartime atrocities.

Wada’s post-war role as an interrogator during the US occupation of Japan contrasts sharply with Yoshikawa’s avoidance of punishment, emphasizing the uneven application of justice after the war. The novel’s exploration of historical memory, particularly through Wada’s experience witnessing the Prime Minister of Japan’s visit to Pearl Harbor, forces the reader to confront the complexities of forgiveness, accountability, and reconciliation in the post-war period.

These unresolved tensions between justice and historical memory linger, much like the “ghosts” alluded to in the book’s title, haunting the narrative and the legacy of the Pacific War.