In 1943, Shoichi Yokoi served in the Imperial Japanese Army on the island of Guam

In 1943, Shoichi Yokoi served in the Imperial Japanese Army on the island of Guam. When US forces invaded the island in 1944, he retreated into the jungle. Because he did not believe reports of peace to be credible, he constructed an underground bunker using BAMBOO and foliage.

All of his fellow soldiers eventually died, and for decades afterward, Yokoi survived entirely ALONE.

Yokoi was discovered by TWO hunters on Guam in January 1972. Upon learning that WWII had already ended twenty-seven years ago, in 1945, HE was stunned to discover this fact.

Upon returning to Japan in February 1972, thousands of people came out in droves to celebrate his survival. After spending thirty years isolated in the jungle, Yokoi struggled to adjust to the hustle and bustle of contemporary URBAN life.

His military experience prevented Yokoi from enjoying his reunion with civilization. Ultimately, he remarried, assumed the role of a farmer, AND maintained anonymity throughout his remaining lifetime

Yokoi's experience demonstrates how powerful the psychological impact of war may be upon an individual.