Introduction
Japanese war crimes were committed during the reign of Emperor Hirobito. The paper will give a detailed analysis of the crimes that were committed such as mass killing, forced labor, lootings, use of biological and chemical weapons, cannibalism, sexual slavery, torture and enslavement. This will hence help in giving limelight to the main effects of the crimes.
To fully understand the crimes committed, the discourse will also analyze the Japanese and international law and some of the agreements that Japan signed in relation to the crimes that were later committed. As a means to an end, it will give a brief recommendation on the whole subject of war crime and the way forward for Japan.
Discussion
War crimes are the violations of war customs or laws (Trahan,7-13). This includes crimes that are committed against the enemies who can either be opponents or civilians. Though Japan has offered numerous apologies in regard to the suffering it caused, most people still assert that Japan still has not been humble enough to offer a genuine apology (Kristof, 37-49).
Others in support of Kristof allege that the Japan government is not humble as it has until now not accepted the legal duty to compensate the people who were affected during the atrocities. Most women’s and Human’s rights organizations agree that Japan should have a legal and moral role to fully compensate the victims.
However, Maga (9-31) disagrees with Kristof asserting that the nation has chosen to reject any form of reconciliation. It is the aim of this discourse to give a detailed analysis on the causes of war crimes in Japan in relation to crimes committed such as mass killing, enslavement, and forced labor among others.. It will also give limelight to obvious effects and discuss related laws and trials. Finally, it will give a recommendation.
The Japanese Law in relation to War Crimes
Japan promised to abide by the terms of Geneva Convention of 1929. Most of the crimes that were committed such as mass killing, lootings, slavery, forced labor, sexual slavery, torture among others did fall in the category of Japanese as well as the international law. For instance most of the crimes by the personnel in the period of the Second World War directly violated the military law.
Moreover, the empire ended up breaking agreements that had been signed by Japan such as use of biological or chemical weapons as well as protecting the prisoners. The Japanese government fully accepted the terms that were set in 1945 by Potsdam declaration meaning they were not supposed to engage in the heinous activities that they later engaged in.
Overview of Japanese War crimes and causes
The military forces were responsible for the war crimes in Japan (Christopher and Eitzen.412-417). Other forces such as Japanese army, the navy, imperial, emperor Hirohito among others were responsible for the war crimes ( Nelson443-467). These people have been cited to have been directly or indirectly involved in the killings and the crimes that were committed against innocent civilians and war prisoners.
They were responsible for the killing of millions as even some of the Japanese soldiers admitted to committing the crimes is (Maga 17-35). They conducted numerous abuses against the prisoners and the civilians in East Asia as well as the pacific region (Nelson, 443-467).
Since 1950s, most of the government officials in Japan have offered unaccountable apologies for the war crimes though others still deny of having knowledge on the happenings of this period as the killings and lootings at Nanjing by the Japanese soldiers.
In comparison to other forms of aggression during the Second World War in other nations, Japan is the only country that used biological and chemical weapons. As stated earlier, the paper will give a detailed analysis on the crimes that were committed which were against the law.
Use of biochemical weapons and effects
Japan started researching on both the chemical and biological weapons in 1920s (Guillemin 545-549). One of the most influential persons who was responsible for these weapons and the later effects was Shiro Ishii ( Kleinman, 23-47). He did his research on innocent victims with the protection of the local police among other influential agencies. He later constructed a biological weapon research center which was later completed in the year 1939.
Every year hundreds of his prisoners were exposed to numerous known diseases such as yellow fever and anthrax (Kleinman, 23-47) Ishii even used these prisoners for various hyperthermia and gangrene experiments (Guillemin 545-549). This was a period where most prisoners were even coerced to having intercourse with people who had venereal diseases.
The main victims of all these heinous acts and experiments were ordinary criminals, mentally challenged people, political prisoners, the homeless, the poor among others. Most of the prisoners who were used for the experiment were of Chinese origin as well as Americans, Europeans and Koreans.
There is no definite data on the people who were killed during the experiments but it is estimated that over twelve thousand people were sacrificed in the name of research (Greenleaf, 275-411). Over 250, 000 people were killed during the field tests as well as in the period of the post war epidemic outbreak which is directly related to biological and chemical weapons that were used (Greenleaf, 275-411).
Though Ishii was an influential researcher for both biological and chemical weapons, he did not commit these crimes alone, but he was helped by various veterinarians, researchers, doctors, among other medical experts (Kleinman, 23-47). All this happened during the reign of Emperor Hirohito in which other units which was like those of Ishii were constructed between 1931 and 1945.
From the beginning of 1945, the Japan government denied having any knowledge on the activities of the chemical and biological weapons and its impact on people. They also in their interrogations on the issue tended to reduce the impact that these weapons had. In 1996 the spokesman for foreign affairs lied and defended the Japanese government asserting that the government did not have documents to prove without doubt that they used Chinese people for research.( Edwards, 317-336).
That was an outright lie and Drifte ( 47-71) agrees that the Japanese government was obviously aware of the documents that confirmed the vast activities of the allied units and Unit 731. The Japanese government was aware that during this period the highest authority including the Royal Family was fully responsible for these crimes.
Since then, for unknown reasons, the Japanese government has refused to acknowledge on the existence of these crimes and those in authority today have continued to deny of having knowledge on such activities.
It is to be understood that Japanese War Crimes were not just committed by the ethnic personnel. However, people in pacific and Asian countries teamed up with the Japanese military after coercion and threats. Others collaborated due to economic hardships, imperialist influence, aversion, among other adverse reasons.
The result of the war crimes is quite vast and is nothing less than horrific. The war criminals due to the immunity given by the U.S were free to resume to their careers as if nothing happened. Various professions were dominated by high ranking Japanese researchers and medical personnel for a long time. These murderers even rose to high posts and became prominent government officials and presidents of various institutions and were credited for being outstanding researchers in the scientific world.
Research shows that most of the graduates of various units dominated the Ministry of Health. Additionally, criminals such as Kitano Masaji and Naito Ryoichi developed influential pharmaceutical companies for instance the Green Cross Company (Hornblum, 1437). Having criminals occupy public and private companies had its own consequence.
It led to the Green Cross Scandal in which approximately 1500 Japanese were given unsterilized blood which had HIV virus The war crimes have led to numerous lawsuits which are still pending. The War crimes have led numerous charges to people who were liable against various crimes against peace.
Some of these charges were introduced in Tokyo trials so as to prosecute class A, Class B and class C criminals. Class B criminals were prosecuted on the merit of being found guilty of the war crimes as per the Japanese and international law. Class C were the people who were guilty of crimes related
During the period of 2nd Sino Japanese War, there was use of gas weapons for example such as tear gas was used in 1937 though from 1938, the Japanese Army started using other chemical weapons such as nausea, chlorine, phosgene gas among other toxic gases.
For instance, the emperor permitted the use of such toxic gases on various occasions during the Wuhan war of 1930 despite the agreement signed in relation to use of Noxious Gases in Warfare and Hague conventions(Maga, 18). Furthermore, during the Yichang battle of 1941, the Japanese army launched around one thousand toxic yellow and red gas shells which led to immense adverse effect on over 1,600 Chinese soldiers (Maga, 17-35).
Enslavement in relation to war crimes
There has been immense controversy on the role of Japan during the Second World War. This has been in relation to the numerous deaths of prisoners of war who were all under Japanese rule. During this period, the Japanese government during its criminal activities killed over 30 million people in which 25 million were Chinese (Futamura, 59-114).
Japan is known to have enslaved millions of people. People were exploited and worked as casual laborers and forced prostitutes. Additionally, forced labor caused several deaths. Over 100, 000 civilians ended up dying during the Siam Railway construction (Fatamura, 59-114).
Fatumura in regard to the Tokyo Tribunal’s findings, asserts that the death rates from the Asian nations in which Japan was fully accountable was approximately 27.1% whereas the Chinese death rates were higher than that of the Asians which were directed by Emperor Hirohito( 59-114).
Enslavement led to war crimes as it was against the Japanese and international law.
Mass killings in relation to war crimes
Japanese government was also guilty of mass killings as between the year 1937 and 1945; the military killed over 10 million people (Fatamura, 59-114). This was a result of poor military strategy and immoral national culture.
The most famous incident happened in 1937 to 1938; Nanking Massacre, where the Japanese military and army killed over 300, 000 prisoners and civilians (Maga, 17-35). This was against the law and hence led to war crimes.
Torture as a cause of war crimes
The Japanese forces employed vast usage of torture mechanisms in an effort to promptly gather intelligence. The tortured prisoners could be later executed which went undetected and unquestioned. The prisoners were bullied and murdered so as to cover evidence. This was crime against humanity.
Cannibalism as a cause of war crime
Another issue under crimes were cannibalism in which most Tokyo tribunals cases indicates that the personnel in Pacific and Asia who were from Japanese origin committed heinous acts of cannibalism against the prisoners. It was so tragic that the Japanese personnel started selecting prisoners daily where every day a prisoner would be killed and later eaten by the army. Liutenant Yoshio Tachibana among other personnel was convicted of cannibalism in 1946 (Maga, 17).
Sexual slavery
The other form of crime was sexual slavery among women where women were recruited by deceptive means, then abducted and finally forced to sexual slavery. This was against the law hence causing war crimes.
Trials in relation to war crimes
After the war, various people were categorized in the class A, B and C war criminals where around 984 people were condemned to death. Approximately 920 people were executed, 2, 944 people received prison terms, 475 people got a life sentence, 1, 018 got acquitted and around 279 people were neither brought to trial nor sentenced (Maga, 17-31).
Emperor Hirohito and other members of the Royal Family who were implicated in the war were exonerated from the criminal prosecutions. Most of the historians have been cited criticizing this decision of the court to exonerate these high ranking officials of the Royal family arguing that they were directly involved in the war crimes.
Recommendations
It goes without saying that there comes a time when it is not necessary anymore to understand why Japan cannot genuinely apologize for its acts, why the Japanese soldiers committed such barbaric acts and even why the emperor was exonerated from the war crimes.
The question is, does it matter anymore to count on the innocent victims who were killed during Nanjing Massacre, how many Chinese and Americans were tortured and killed or even how many times the Japanese used biochemical weapons in China which resulted to deaths? It is time that Japanese government acknowledged its war crimes if at all they want to maintain peace in the international sphere and even play a meaningful role in the United Nations (Li,.8-12).
For Japan to gain trust of other nations, it ought to settle its legal and moral obligations. Japan should take responsibility for the war crimes, apologize to the victims who were involved in the atrocities and pay the appropriate reparations to all the victims.
Conclusion
It is apparent that Japanese War crimes had immense effect. The paper has extensively discussed the Japanese War crimes focusing on the crimes committed, its effects and finally given a recommendation.
Works Cited
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