page_title: Niihau incident
section_title: Kaleohano's midnight run
hierarchical_section_title: Niihau incident / Incident / Kaleohano's midnight run
caption_attribution_description: English: Nishikaichi's Zero BII-120
context_page_description: The Niʻihau incident occurred on December 7–13, 1941, when Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi crash-landed his Zero on the Hawaiian island of Niʻihau after participating in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Imperial Japanese Navy had designated Niʻihau as an uninhabited island for damaged aircraft to land and await rescue.
  The pilot shared information about the Pearl Harbor attack with island locals of Japanese descent. Native Hawaiian residents were initially unaware of the attack, but apprehended Nishikaichi when the gravity of the situation became apparent. The pilot then sought and received the assistance of the three Hawaiian locals of Japanese descent on the island in overcoming his captors, finding weapons, and taking several hostages. Eventually, Nishikaichi was killed by Niihauans Benehakaka "Ben" Kanahele and his wife Kealoha "Ella" Kanahele; Ben Kanahele was wounded in the process, and one of Nishikaichi's supporters, Yoshio Harada, committed suicide.
  Ben Kanahele was decorated for his part in stopping the takeover, but Ella Kanahele received no official recognition.
context_section_description: Robinson had come to know that there was trouble on Niʻihau because the Niihauans had flashed signals toward Kauaʻi with kerosene lanterns and reflectors. Meanwhile, Nishikaichi unsuccessfully attempted to make contact with the Japanese military using the downed aircraft's radio. With the help of Harada and one of their Hawaiian captives, they removed at least one of the two 7.7 mm machine guns on board the Japanese fighter plane with some ammunition, torched the plane, and proceeded to Kaleohano's house, which they set ablaze at about 3 a.m. in a final effort to destroy Nishikaichi's papers, which included maps, radio codes, and Pearl Harbor attack plans.
caption: Remains of Nishikaichi's Zero on December 17, 1941
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