Were the Japanese Imperialists convicted of war crimes, even though Japan said the war was legal?

Question

I think if you check your history books, the Japanese Prime Minister and other leaders were convicted and executed for war crimes, despite the fact that the war was perfectly legal under Japanese law.

And, despite the fact that the US organized the trial, they were not tried under U.S. law either.

They were tried and sentenced under international law.

Hmm.

grips, the US is losing the war in Iraq.

Scott, quit guessing when it's easy enough to look it up. You only make yourself look foolish. What was Tojo convicted for?

Answer 1

While I agree with the point you are attempting to make regarding Iraq, I would like to point out that many of the worst Japanese war criminals were not only NOT prosecuted for their atrocities, but they were, in fact, brought to the U.S. to live comfortably and work for the "American" government. As an example, one need look no further than General Shiro Ishii, commander of Japan's infamous biological weapons program in Tientsin, China, Unit 731. 2500 US POW's were held there; many of them were subjected to the most crude and cruel experimentation. Likewise, 300,000 Chinese noncombatant civilians died there as a result of being subjected to resistant strains of malaria, plague, etc. Several of the provinces near the camp still suffer from outbreaks of these resistant forms of disease even today. But, Ishii, despite live dissection of prisoners no less, was not prosecuted; he was hired by the US to help jumpstart our biological weapons programs. And, he is remembered in Japan as a war hero, complete with impressive stone monument. Yet, Ishii is no less a monster than was Werner Von Braun, creator of the V-1 and V-2 rockets that struck so much devastation and terror in England during the war. He, of course, is now celebrated as the father of NASA.

Actually, if you took a serious accounting, it would actually be hard to determine the number of war criminals who have been permitted to live and grow old, free from prosecution, in the U.S. The simple fact is only the most obvious targets are ever prosecuted for war crimes. Most of the worst war criminals in history escape justice and are only faced by whatever guilt, if any, that their own limited consciences can manage. Thus, it is unlikely that the worst criminals in the illegal occupation of Iraq will ever be brought to justice.

Answer 2

Yes they were. Often war crimes are classified based on what everyone is doing. In Germany, during war crimes trials against German leadership, indiscriminate bombings of civilians populations were not considered war crimes because the allies engaged in this practice as well.

Japan's activities in WW2 make the accidental bombings of the US look tame. They were perhaps the most brutal fighting force ever, I don't even want to mention here the types of things they did.

War crimes are really a fancy way of punishing the losers of a war. They always have been. The US was found guilty of some 30 odd war crimes in the gulf war (UN War Crimes Tribunal), they didn't face punishment for a single one.

Answer 3

If you read the book "Flyboys" that was recently released in 2004, Hirohito, the prime minister was not tried as a war criminal. Instead, his underlings were told to try and take all the blame. They were told to say that if the court tried Hirohito, they would falsely admit that they would carry out plans to attack Pearl Harbor anyways, with or without the Hirohito's consent. Which was not true, the Japanese emperor was treated like a God in Japan, his every whim was catered to. He grew up to be educated in a military fashion. Many Japanese soldiers were tried as war criminals and were shocked because they were only following orders. Even some Japanese leaders in charge in the Rape of China were excused.

Answer 4

they were convicted of ordering the death, torture, experimentation on and genocide of millions of people. It was not because they were involved in a war.

So tell you what, if you can prove Bush is responsible for even 1/5th the amount of death, damage and destruction the Imperial Japanese government inflicted, hell 1/10th the amount, I will sign any petition you want demanding President Bush be impeached.

But see I have something called an education in history and a strong understanding of the facts so your argument is thin and blatantly misleading. I am sure these tactics work with the uneducated or the "true believers", but realists and the educated can see right through your thinly veiled rhetoric and know your argument is inacurate and just plain wrong.

Answer 5

Yess me too I like the culture of Japan especially anime and manga but I will never forget their atrocities during ww2 especially in my country where Bataan death march happened. I think the Japanese SHOULD be taught of their atrocities(because I read that Japan education don't teach history of their wrongdoings and because ww2 is very well documented because we have cameras and photos back then) so they don't repeat the past especially today the govt of japan is becoming a right wing fascist

Answer 6

My father spend over four years in a Japanese interment camp, and suffered greatly. He was forced to work in coal mines for no wages and little food. The USA to add insult to injury took away his right to sue the Japanese government and the companies who did not treat him as a prisoner of war but a slave instead. So our government often doesn't look after the best interest of our citizens But why are you so concerned about the Japanese government and it's people that went to war with many, such a the USA for little or no cause

Answer 7

In the case of Japan and Germany, they both started wars in order to conquer the world and in doing so INTENTIONALLY slaughtered innocent populations not to mention the rapes, slave labor and mutilations. If they waged war againsts military targets and some civilians died in the effort, they would NOT have been charged with anything. Libs cannot understand the difference so it is no use wasting time trying to educate them.

Answer 8

Yea, but the difference is, the Japanese lost the war. Whoever wins the war, gets to make the rules.

Spartiac------the Geneva Convention was ratified sometime in the 1920's by most civilized countries (and some that weren"t). However, Japan was not a signatory of the Geneva Convention.

Answer 9

Yes, they were. And rightly so.

Torture (real torture), starvation and murder of captured legal combatants (POWs).

The Rape of Nanking.

Atrocities committed against civilians and captured legal combatants with the knowledge and / or encouragement of the military commanders.

So, what's your point? If you're hinting at any similarities to the US and the imprisonment of illegal combatants at Gitmo, or of the US invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam, then there are no similarities.

Answer 10

Well as you know back then racism was a very big thing and the way the American people looked at Japanese people they were considered sub human. Just look at the differences when they were fighting against the Nazi's they always said Nazi not German because of course the white man was their brother and the same as they are but once they were against an Asian foe they were referred too as "Japs" or the "yellow monkey's"
So even after the war they looked at the Japanese as subhuman and treated them as such.
History is written by the victor as they say.

Oh yeah and someone mentioned the Geneva Convention and then said you should read your history well uhhh the Geneva convention was not around in Japan. So back then it was anything goes.