Masabumi Hosono was the only Japanese person on the famous ship, the RMS Titanic. He worked for the Japanese Ministry of Transport and was in Europe to study Russia’s railway system in 1910. On his way back to Japan, he stopped in Britain and boarded the Titanic in Southampton on April 10, 1912, traveling in second class.
On the night the Titanic hit an iceberg, Hosono was asleep. He woke up when a stewardess knocked on his door, telling him to put on a life jacket. As he tried to reach the lifeboats, a crew member stopped him, thinking he was a third-class passenger. Despite this, Hosono managed to get to the top deck.
He described the scene as terrifying, with emergency flares lighting up the sky and a feeling of dread all around. When an officer called out that there was “room for two more” in a lifeboat, Hosono got in and survived the sinking of the Titanic.
When Hosono returned to Japan, he was not welcomed as a hero. Instead, he faced criticism from the media in both the U.S. and Japan for not following the “women and children first” rule. He lost his job and was labeled as dishonorable. Some newspapers even falsely claimed he dressed as a woman to get on a lifeboat.
In Japan, he was shunned by society, a practice known as ‘Mura Hachibu,’ where someone who is seen as disloyal is avoided by others. Hosono lived with this stigma until he died of natural causes on March 14, 1939, at the age of 68.
After his death, Hosono’s granddaughter discovered his diary. In it, he wrote about his wish to avoid bringing shame to his family. Publishing his diary helped restore some honor to the Hosono family, showing his true feelings and the difficult choices he faced.
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Imagine you are a passenger on the Titanic. Write a short diary entry describing your experience on the night of the disaster. Include your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Share your entry with the class and discuss the different perspectives.
Participate in a class debate about whether Masabumi Hosono’s decision to board the lifeboat was justified. Divide into two groups, one supporting Hosono’s actions and the other opposing them. Use evidence from the article to support your arguments.
Write a newspaper article as if you were a journalist in 1912 reporting on Hosono’s survival. Include quotes from Hosono and other passengers, and discuss the public’s reaction. Use historical facts to make your article realistic.
Research how different cultures might react to a similar situation today. Compare these reactions to the way Hosono was treated in Japan and the U.S. Present your findings in a short presentation to the class.
Imagine you are Hosono’s granddaughter discovering his diary. Write a letter to a friend describing your feelings upon reading it and how it changes your perception of your grandfather. Share your letter with the class.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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**What Happened to the Only Japanese Passenger on the Titanic?**
Masabumi Hosono was the only Japanese passenger on the RMS Titanic. As a civil servant working for the Japanese Ministry of Transport, he researched Imperial Russia’s railway system in 1910. His journey back to Japan took him to Britain. After staying in London for a time, he went to Southampton, where he boarded the RMS Titanic on April 10, 1912, in second class.
During the disaster, as the ship was sinking after hitting an iceberg, passengers began to evacuate in the few lifeboats available. Hosono was asleep when the crash occurred but awoke when a stewardess knocked on his cabin and informed him to put on a life jacket. When he tried to go to the top deck where the lifeboats were, he was initially blocked by a crewman who assumed he was a third-class passenger. However, he eventually slipped past and reached the top deck.
“All the while, emergency flares were being shot into the air ceaselessly, and the terrifying sounds were overwhelming. I could not dispel the feeling of utter dread and desolation,” Hosono wrote. He found a lifeboat when an officer shouted, “Room for two more!” and survived the Titanic disaster.
When he returned to Japan, instead of being celebrated, Hosono faced disgrace from both U.S. and Japanese press because he did not adhere to the “women and children first” rule. He lost his job and was portrayed in the media as dishonorable. Some newspapers even suggested he disguised himself as a woman to board a lifeboat and called for him to take drastic actions.
He would be ostracized for the rest of his life in Japan, a phenomenon known as ‘Mura Hachibu,’ where a co-worker who has made a serious error or shown a lack of loyalty is avoided by peers. Hosono died of natural causes on March 14, 1939, at 68 years old. After his death, his granddaughter found his diary and published it. In it, he expressed his desire to avoid any disgrace as a Japanese person, which is seen as his redemption and a way to bring honor back to the Hosono family.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any potentially sensitive or inflammatory language.
Japanese – Relating to Japan, its people, or its language – The Japanese culture has a rich history of art and tradition that has influenced many other societies around the world.
Titanic – The British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912 after hitting an iceberg – The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most famous maritime disasters in history.
Disaster – A sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life – The earthquake was a disaster that affected thousands of people and changed the community forever.
Lifeboat – A small boat carried on a ship to save passengers and crew in case of emergency – During the sinking of the Titanic, many passengers were saved by lifeboats, although there were not enough for everyone on board.
Society – A community of people living together and sharing customs, laws, and organizations – In sociology class, we learned how different societies develop their own unique cultures and traditions.
Stigma – A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person – In the past, there was a stigma attached to certain diseases, which often led to unfair treatment of those affected.
Honor – High respect or esteem; a sense of what is right or due – Many soldiers are remembered with honor for their bravery and sacrifices during wartime.
Media – The main means of mass communication, such as television, radio, and newspapers – The media played a crucial role in informing the public about important events throughout history.
Railway – A track made of steel rails along which trains run – The construction of the transcontinental railway was a significant achievement that connected the eastern and western parts of the country.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs – Learning about history helps us understand how past events have shaped the world we live in today.
