Shinya Tamatsu

Warning Spoilers through Straits of Hell. Although Shinya begins as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, he is ashamed of the actions of the captain of Amagi and acts with the Americans throughout the series.

Shinya Tamatsu was a lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy and was assigned to a destroyer escorting Amagi. The destroyer was sunk and Shinya was catapulted into the water as the vessels entered the squall. A Japanese sailor fished the unconscious Shinya out of the water. The crew of USS Walker hauled Shinya aboard just before a plesiosaur attacked and killed the sailor.

Shinya had studied in California and revealed that he was fluent in English. He did not reveal at that time that he also spoke and understood Latin. He offered his parole and Matthew Reddy accepted it.

Shinya was in the party that visited Salissa after Walker intervened in the battle between that vessel and the attacking Grik vessels. While greetings were being exchanged, Shinya heard the high priest speak Latin. Shinya became the interpreter between the Americans and the Lemurians.