The story goes something like this:
"Knives were carried by Kamikaze pilots for the purpose of suicide. They were intended for use in the rare case that the pilot survived his intentional crash into an enemy ship or building or whatever target he was supposed to destroy. These pilots had prepared themselves for death and to allow themselves to live would have been considered the ultimate cowardice in their culture. Traditionally WWII Japanese Kamikaze pilots were treated to luxuries, exotic foods, even sex for a short period before their mission. To be treated this way and then not follow through with the oath they had taken as Kamikaze pilots would be unthinkable. For this reason they often carried a simple unadorned tanto, sometimes with a prayer inscribed on the blade."
"Two out of three of the kamikazis got shot down and didn't hit a ship. If they weren't killed immediately they didn't have to wait to drown or be captured. That was the idea. Whether any of them were ever used for their intended purpose or not, it was what made you a kamikazi."
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