One day in 1980, Onoda saw an article in the newspaper about a murder in Japan. A male preparatory school student killed his parents by assaulting them in the head with a baseball bat. He was so shocked at the news because before the war, there was not such a murderer. He thought why did he not leave his family before he killed them? If he lived independently, he would not have killed his parents. Brutal crimes by young Japanese were increasing. Japanese young people must have been feeling trapped and had a distorted character in the prosperous Japanese society. Onoda left his family for China at the early age of 17 because he often argued with his father about lifestyle issues. In addition, naturally, Onoda hated losing the argument. The force of repulsion against his father made him independent. He also thought about the knowledge of his survival experience on Lubang island, for the past that became helpful for Japanese young people. They should be strong and be independent from their parents. Onoda hoped young Japanese people grew up to be healthy and live energetically. He set a goal to support young Japanese people. It was his final mission for his motherland. He started a life to go back and forth from Japan and Brazil.
In 1984, Onoda had the first training camp for children at the foot of Mt.Fuji in Japan. Children left their parents and camped out in tents. He wanted children to come face-to-face with nature and also wanted them to feel the harshness and wonders of the great nature which gives abundant blessings to them.
Death of Norio Suzuki in 1987(62nd of Show Era)
In, 1987, three years after Onoda started his last challenge, he heard the shocking news that Norio Suzuki was missing in the mountains of DHAULAGIRI IV, one of the Himalayan Mountains, and was killed in a mountaineering accident. It was in 1987 when he was 37 years old. Onoda’s new life was because of Suzuki, because without him, there would have been no current life for him.
During the high economy growth, the young people became difficult students. Some of them spent their time doing disruptive activities in universities. They barricaded the university to protest the university or the government. Suzuki was expelled from a university and went around the world, he was also an unsatisfied person.
The following year, Onoda returned to Japan and flew to Nepal. He climbed the mountain while camping out in a tent for three days; he reached the height of about 4,000 meters which was near the area where Suzuki’s dead body was still in the snow. He made a simple altar and adorned it with Suzuki’s favorites and then prayed for his death.
Norio Suzuki had dreams. The first one was to discover Hiroo Onoda. The other one was to discover a Yeti. He definitely made all of his dreams came true. Finally, he met a “Yeti.”
Establishment of NPO
After 5 years, in 1989, he and his patron established the NPO, Onoda Shizen Juku(Onoda Nature School) Foundation. He became a director. And then in 1991, he established a special sleep-away camp site for training in Fukushima Prefecture. Furthermore, he traveled the country giving speeches and gave a lecture to students at universities.
The goal of Onoda Nature School was to make young children physically and mentally strong; Nature is a great teacher. Throughout the camp activities, Onoda wanted children to achieve the following goals such as: 1). Interact with the great nature; 2) have experience living by themselves (e.g. chop wood, create a fire, make food etc.); 3) be awakened with the true nature of themselves; 4) think well about themselves; 5) set goals to live strongly.
He consistently taught children to set a goal, never give up and compete with it! Without a goal, you would be discouraged. In addition, he taught them how to live in human society, because they are living not only in nature but also in a civilized society. Hiroo Onoda was a living legend, he had proved it throughout his life; the completion of the mission in the Philippines and the success of his business in Brazil.
Onoda would like the children to know the suffering and fear when they live alone and also the feeling of delight when they live with friends together throughout his camp.
From 2004 he taught parents how to raise their children. Furthermore, he was already in an advanced age, so he had a leadership training seminar to develop leaders to teach children and how to act as a leader in an emergency such as during natural disasters.
Return to Lubang Island Again
Aside from this, Onoda visited Lubang Island again 20 years after he returned to Japan. He donated 2 million Japanese yen which he earned to a school.
Onoda returning to Lubang Island. Lubang residents held a party to welcome him.
Children should have hopes or dreams. It will motivate them to do something about their goals. Onoda spent time with over 10,000 children.
