Character

Shimada Yohei

島田洋平

Shimada is a Japanese Army officer stationed on Peleliu during World War II. He holds the rank of Second Lieutenant and identifies himself as belonging to the Second Battalion. He commands Tamaru’s platoon, as he is referred to as the platoon leader. Shimada is calm, intelligent, and highly capable. His careful observation of American movements allows him to plan a successful raid on their supply depot, and his men explicitly credit the operation’s success to his planning. His leadership earns him considerable loyalty and respect, which is directly noted. He is the group’s de-facto operational leader rather than its nominal commander: First Lieutenant Takenouchi of the Third Battalion outranks him and is the formal commanding officer, though Takenouchi defers to Shimada’s judgment and remarks on his standing with the men.