Kibei

Kibei kibei (帰米) was a term often used in the 1940s to describe Japanese Americans born in the United States who returned to America after receiving their education in Japan. The exact number is not known--perhaps about 11,000.

Those who were in school in Japan in late 1941 typically entered the Japanese army. Those in the U.S. were interred. Many volunteered for service with the U.S., especially as translators.

Another case was Minoru Wada, an American citizen educated in Japan who served as a Japanese Army junior officer. He was taken prisoner in the Philippines in 1945. He provided U.S. bomber crews with vital intelligence, and led the aircraft in a highly successful attack on the headquarters of the Japanese 100th Division. He was motivated by a desire to minimize the loss of life through aiding to effect a swift end to the Pacific War.