Jiro Horikoshi designed a few of the most notable aircraft used by Japan during World War II, including the legendary Mitsubishi A6M Zero plane. Despite being the brains behind the planes, Horikoshi was extremely critical of Japan’s government during the wartime. He would later write his dissent about the war a few years later.

When we awoke on the morning of December 8, 1941, we found ourselves — without any foreknowledge — to be embroiled in war… Since then, the majority of us who had truly understood the awesome industrial strength of the United States never really believed that Japan would win this war. We were convinced that surely our government had in mind some diplomatic measures which would bring the conflict to a halt before the situation became catastrophic for Japan. But now, bereft of any strong government move to seek a diplomatic way out, we are being driven to doom. Japan is being destroyed. I cannot do anything other but to blame the military hierarchy and the blind politicians in power for dragging Japan into this hellish cauldron of defeat.