Masabumi Hosono, the only Japanese passenger on the Titanic, experienced a lifetime of shame and ostracism after surviving the disaster. His story, written in a letter discovered in 1997, sheds light on the anguish experienced by the passengers of the ill-fated ship.
Hosono had been in Russia for two years on an extended assignment and could not have been more excited to go home to his beloved family. In 1912, his wish came true: the assignment was over and he had the opportunity to journey in splendor on the inaugural voyage of the glorious RMS Titanic.
After journeying to London and procuring a new suit, Hosono joined the other passengers in admiring the "Queen of the Ocean." His rendition of the experience includes references to the Titanic's "enticing aromas," "lively music," but above all, he worked to imagine reuniting with his relatives. With each successive dawn came a step nearer to being reunited with his relations.
Upon the time of 12:00am April 14th, Hosono was tapped on the door and instructed to don a life belt. Despite his attempts to inform the crew that he was a second-class passenger, he was initially denied access to the upper decks.
He eventually maneuvered his way around the two guards and arrived at the ship's deck, where he observed women and children being placed into lifeboats.Ready to accept his fate and die an honorable death, he prepared to go down with the ship.
But then, an officer called out, “Admission for two more!” and Hosono beheld the other man boarding. Realizing this was the only route to be with his family once more, he emulated the man's “daring example.”
As the lifeboat rowed away from the sinking ship, he already sensed that there would be consequences for his decision. He witnessed the Titanic breaking apart and plunging beneath the waves, accompanied by the cries of the drowning passengers. Hosono felt depressed and worried about his future. After being rescued and brought to New York, Hosono was labeled a coward and faced public ridicule.
He was charged with masquerading as a female and earned the moniker "Lucky Japanese Boy" from an American magazine.Back in Japan, the backlash was even worse.According to Metropolis Japan, the joy Hosono felt when being reunited with his family was short-lived once he was found guilty of ignoring the 'women and children first' policy and steering away from a dignified death.
He was inundated with hate mail, and it would have brought an end to his career had it not been for his credentials.The media assailed him with constant calls for his suicide, as Japan strove to demonstrate its patriotism and nationalism in a bid to gain impression from the West at the time—as reported by Metropolis Japan.
Throughout his life, Hosono was plagued by a social stigma, compelling him to live in seclusion and prohibiting all conversations about the Titanic in his household until his natural death in 1939.
Hosono wrote about his experience in a journal, which carried on lying in a book in a drawer until 1997, when the Hosono family printed his account.It was then that his story contradicted the mistaken identity of another Asian man on a different lifeboat, who had been accused of acting ignobly. Hosono's account revealed that he had helped row a lifeboat to safety, thus restoring his honor and credibility.
To this present day, the wrenching description Hosono penned on the Titanic's stationery has stayed as one of the most expressive and detailed records of the despair and grief suffered by the ship's passengers. Without this, a portion of the narrative would nevermore be remembered.
Although Hosono was portrayed by the media as a self-serving coward, his decision to save himself and reunite with his family can be seen as a testament to his love and devotion. He was put in an impossible moral predicament, and his actions were driven by his deep affection for his family. His story reminds us of the fear and desperation we all feel when faced with the prospect of losing our loved ones.
In the end, his decision to seize the opportunity for life was a deeply human act. Masabumi Hosono's story is a poignant reminder that we should approach historical narratives with compassion and understanding. His account allows us to see beyond the labels and judgments placed upon him and recognize the complexity of human choices in the face of adversity.