[Geek44]

I think there was some 'lip-service' paid to the concept of voluntary participation, but flight and/or navy students were often asked to attend a lecture regarding the progress of the war...at the end, they were asked who wanted to volunteer. Of course most did volunteer because of the 'herd mentality', the need to support one's comrades and the fear of ostracism should they not volunteer. The participants were 'glorified' as Gods in some ways also...similar to the propaganda fed to modern suicide bombers in the Middle East today. I guess, in short, the majority of participants had their youth and naivete taken advantage of and were basically manipulated into the program. Fairly easy to do given the structure of Japanese culture at the time, 'Bushido' was still an ingredient as were the teachings of Shinto and Zen. The godfather of the program even had the good grace to commit ritual suicide at wars end. The customary self disembowelling took place and he lay dying on his living room floor for fourteen hours. Some might say a fitting demise for a man responsible for the pointless deaths of hundreds.
Many pilots carried 'katana' in their cockpits in the Samurai tradition. These blades were mass produced for 'Tokko' pilots. Their inferior quality was obvious even to the young boys receiving them.
Some managed to convince themselves that they were doing the right thing, some basked in the 'glory' and others succumbed to the fear and inevitability. Most knew that the war was already lost after Midway. Ironically, one pilot was the sole survivor from six family members.