Japanese holdouts or stragglers were Japanese soldiers in the Pacific Theatre who, after the August 1945 surrender of Japan that marked the end of World War II, either adamantly doubted the veracity of the formal surrender due to strong dogmatic or militaristic principles, or were not aware of it because communications were cut off by the United States island hopping campaign. They continued to fight occupying forces, and later, local police, years after the war was over. Other Japanese holdouts volunteered in the Vietnamese Independence war and Indonesian Independence war to free Asian colonies from Western control, which was one of Imperial Japan's predicated goals during World War II.
Intelligence officer Hiroo Onoda, who surrendered on Lubang Island in the Philippines in March 1974, and Teruo Nakamura, who was stationed on Morotai Island in Indonesia and surrendered in December 1974, were the last confirmed holdouts.
