Niihau incident

Niʻihau incident
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
Aerial view of Niʻihau looking southwestward from the north, where the incident took place
Date	December 7–13, 1941
Location	Niʻihau, Hawaii Territory, U.S.
Resulted in	See § Conclusion
Parties
Native Hawaiians Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Japanese Hawaiians
Lead figures
Hawila Kaleohano Ben Kanahele (WIA) Ella Kanahele Kaahakila Kalimahuluhulu Shigenori Nishikaichi † Yoshio Harada † Irene Harada Ishimatsu Shintani
Number
5 civilian guards 1 airman 3 civilians
Casualties and losses
1 injured 2 dead 2 detained

The Niʻihau incident occurred on December 7–13, 1941, when the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi (西開地 重徳, Nishikaichi Shigenori) crash-landed on the Hawaiian island of Niʻihau after participating in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Imperial Japanese Navy had designated Niʻihau as an uninhabited island for damaged aircraft to land and await rescue.

Native Hawaiians, unaware of the Pearl Harbor attack, treated Nishikaichi as a guest but took the precaution of removing his weapons. They brought a resident who had been born in Japan to interpret. That night, the Hawaiians learned of the attack and apprehended Nishikaichi. They allowed him to stay with the Haradas, two of the only three residents of Japanese descent, but posted guards.

Nishikaichi told the Haradas about the attack and the two agreed to help him. Nishikaichi and Yoshio Harada overcame a guard and escaped to destroy Nishikaichi's plane and papers, then took Niihauans Benehakaka "Ben" Kanahele and his wife Kealoha "Ella" Kanahele prisoner.^[1] The Kanaheles overcame the guard and killed Nishikaichi. Ben Kanahele was wounded in the process, and one of Nishikaichi's collaborators, Yoshio Harada, committed suicide. Ben Kanahele was decorated for his action because he was wounded. Ella Kanahele, who killed Nishikaichi, received no official recognition.^[1]