The Japanese war criminals

Title

Language

English

Source

Panorama Volume XVII (Issue No.8) August 1965

Year

1965

Subject

World War, 1939-1945--Atrocities--Japan

War criminals—Japan

War crimes

War crime trials

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

The story of the Japanese leaders who commanded the military forces of Japan in the last World War

Fulltext

■ The story of the Japanese leaders who commanded the military forces of Japan in the last World War. THE JAPANESE WAR CRIMINALS A total of 4,855 Japanese were tried for war crimes in trials held in Japan and va rious areas of Asia where Japanese forces were strand ed at the time of their sur render after their defeat in the second World War. Of these, 927 were sen tenced to death, 399 received life terms, 2,889 lesser prison terms, and 64 were acquitted. The “25 A” class suspects, including Tojo and his exe cuted colleagues, went before the International Tribunal in Tokyo. U.S. Military Coprts in Japan tried 1,344. Most of the rest stood trial before allied military courts outside Japan. The Nether lands tried 995, Britain 865, Australia 777, China 517, France 181, and the Philip pines, 151. Pardons and amnesties steadily reduced the number imprisoned. The Japanese Government was able to an nounce on Dec. 30, 1958 that the last war criminal had been freed, except for a handful still in Communist Chinese jails. The last known Japanese held by Communist China was repa triated in April, 1964. What are Japan’s former war criminals doing today, these men convicted of the most inhuman acts but given a new lease on life by the compassion of their former enemies? They have melted into anomymity. As it was put by an official of the Welfare Ministry charged with keep ing war criminals records: “After they’re released, there’s no reason for us to keep track of them anymore.” But the families of the 1,001 men who died — 927 by execution and 74 from ilb ness in prison — formed an association called the White Chrysanthemum Society that meets about once a year. It is headed by Mrs. Hisako August 1965 29 Yamashita, widow of General Omoyuki Yamashita, known as the “Tiger of Malaya” who conquered Singapore and was tried and executed after the war in the Philip pines. Though most have slipped back unnoticed into the stream of Japanese society, survivors among the “A” Class group have not entire ly been abl.e to escape the public glare. And, indeed, two of them succeeded in making remarkable come backs into the top echelons of Government. Mamoru Shigemitsu, who was Foreign Minister when he signed the surrender for Japan aboard the battleship Missouri in 1945, received a 12-year prison term, the lightest of the sentences met ed out to the 25 Internation al Tribunal Defendants. Pardoned with the signing of the Peace Treaty in 1951, Shigemitsu was elected to the House of Representatives and was again Foreign Mi nister at the time of his death in 1954. Okinori Kaya, a wartime Finance Minister, got 20 years, was released in 1951 and returned to politics, has a major influence in the rul ing Liberal-Democratic Par ty. He topped his comeback by serving as Justice Minis ter, a post he resigned in 1964. Eight of the 25 *‘A” Class men still live today, and ex cept for Kaya, who himself has remained out of the poli tical limelight since resign ing as Justice Minister, they lead quiet, secluded lives. There is 88-year-old Sadao Araki, the crusty, musta chioed ex-general who as wartime Education Minister indoctrinated Japan’s youth in the superiority of the Japanese race. Former Vice-Admiral Takasumi Oka, was chief of the Naval Affairs Bureau. He was paroled out of Sugamo in 1954 along with Araki. Former Admiral Shigetaro Shimada was one of Tojo’s navy ministers and later chief of the Navy General Staff. Koichi Kido who, as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and the Emperor’s chief advisor, was one of wartime Japan’s most powerful men. Paroled in 1956. He is now 76. 30 Panorama Another survivor is Kenryo Sato, former commander of the 37th Division and one of Tojo’s top military planners. Sato is 70. Teiichi Suzuki, now 77, was a general who as direc tor of the Planning Board helped map Japan’s wartime policies. Suzuki was released in 1956. Hiroshi Oshima, now 79, was instrumental in bring ing about the Tripartite Axis Alliance. Another big name still liv ing is Henry Pu Yi, puppet Emperor of Japanese-control led Manchuria. Captured by the Russians and turned over to the Communist Chi nese who imprisoned him, Pu Yi was pardoned in 1959 “for having repented and ac knowledged his crimes” so Peking sam, and is now re ported working in a botani cal garden in the Communist Chinese capital. — Kenneth Ishii (AP), condensed from Variety. PEANUT BUTTER 1st student (throwing sandwich emphatically on the floor): “Peanut butter again today. All three of my sandwiches are peanut butter again today. Yesterday they were all peanut butter, the day before, last week, that’s all I had was peanut butter sandwiches in my lunch; I hate peanut butter.” 2nd student: “What’s the matter with your wife, won’t she fix your lunch the way you want it?” Avgust 1965 31

pages

29-31

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