I read in national monthly magazine called “ World War II” or “ WWII History,”) something like that , bought at Borders magazine shelves back in early 2000s and there was a story about hold outs.
From what i remember, there was action in Burma in 1958. An organized Japanese Unit, not an individual. We sent in company or Battalion size units to “mop up” . Could that have been the last combat unit fire fights against the Japanese !?
Lt. Onoda’s “unit” on Lubang Island contained multiple men as late as 1972. They got caught up in a firefight with the local constabulary, and one of Onoda’s men was killed. Previously Onoda and his men on Lubang had been written off as dead; this firefight renewed the push by the Japanese government to call their holdouts back from the jungle.