Together Again: The Golden Years of Kamiya Kaoru by Michael Gilson In 1936, shortly after the February 26 incident, Kamiya Kaoru was approached by Saionji Kinmochi, the last of the elder statesmen of Meiji, to serve as a courier for those who covertly sought to preserve the Meiji settlement from encroachment by the military. Kaoru had already been speaking out since the Manchurian incident of 1931 and the May 15 incident of 1932. Those incidents violated the Kamiya - do philosophy that a sword should be used to defend not harm, and government was the servant and guardian of the populace not the master. She therefore readily accepted Saionji's offer. Saionji's group was notably ineffective, concentrating on preserving the Emperor and the Imperial house until someone else brought the military back under control, but it probably saved Kaoru's life. No longer publicly protesting for security reasons there was nothing to draw the attention of the Kempei-tai thought police to the formerly outspoken old lady. This may actually have been Saionji's goal in recruiting her. While never close to Kaoru and Kenshin at the height of Meiji, as one's comrades pass on those who remain become more precious. In 1945 while traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto in the course of her courier duties, the train Kaoru was traveling in came under attack from an American fighter. Although the locomotive was disabled, Kaoru used her skills to deflect the bullets that would have hit the passenger coach. By luck the deflected bullets wrecked the engine of the fighter, forcing the pilot to zoom climb and bail out. Kaoru easily disarmed the dazed man, then defended him from angry locals who would have beat him to death until military officials arrived. Amused by the way he had been captured and brought in by an old woman, the soldiers saw no need to further humiliate the pilot. He survived his captivity with no permanent injuries. Although Kaoru was physically failing during the occupation and died before it ended, intellectually she thrived. She was the enthusiastic leader of her block democracy discussion group. She imparted to many young people a deep and long lasting respect for the sovereignty of the individual, and an appreciation of the 'Peace Article' 9 of the new constitution, which matched the philosophy of the Kamiya - do.