Over the years, rivers of ink have been spilled on the arditi and their exploits, as well as countless biographies of figures who immortalized the deeds of these soldiers. Yet, some individuals remain largely overlooked—among them Harukichi Shimoi, a Japanese man who donned the uniform with black flames. Born in Fukuoka in 1883 to a family of noble samurai, Shimoi soon discovered his passion for literature, particularly love literature, which led him to Dante Alighieri. 

In 1915, he moved to Italy, specifically Naples, where he deepened his studies on Dante and taught Japanese at the University of Naples "L'Orientale." When Italy entered the war, Shimoi volunteered for military service, initially receiving administrative assignments at the General Staff. In 1917, he managed to reach the front lines, becoming a correspondent for the "Asahi Shinbun" newspaper. Shimoi later joined the ranks of the arditi, fighting on the front lines in the final battles of the Royal Italian Army, where he taught Bushido and Karate to his comrades. On November 3, 1918, he was among the first to enter liberated Trento.

After the war, Shimoi became a close friend of Gabriele D’Annunzio and participated in the Fiume Expedition, earning the nickname “Samurai of Fiume,” coined by D’Annunzio himself. Together, they organized what is now referred to as the Rome-Tokyo raid. Using his diplomatic passport, Shimoi secretly transported correspondence between the regent of Fiume and Benito Mussolini, whom he quickly came to admire and support.

Upon returning to Japan, Shimoi became one of the foremost promoters of relations between Italy and his homeland. He also established what was then the largest Dante library in the East, reflecting his lifelong passion for Dante’s work. Sadly, this library was destroyed during American bombings in World War II. Disheartened by the war's outcome, Shimoi withdrew from public life after the conflict, dedicating himself to studying and translating Italian texts into Japanese, including those of D’Annunzio. He passed away in 1954, far removed from political life.