 A strict disciplinarian, Kumashiro's father believed in the warrior philosophy of Yamamoto Tsunetomo as written in "Hagakure" and supported Japan's military exploits of the 1930s and 1940s.Early in life Kumashiro rebelled against this upbringing by immersing himself in film and Western literature.During World War II, Kumashiro entered medical school as a means of avoiding the draft, but dropped out as soon as the war ended in Japan's defeat.