The Tokyo Trials: The Unheard Defense

Summary

The Tokyo Trials: The Unheard Defense
Written and Edited by KOBORI Keiichiro, PhD.,
Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University
This book consist of excerpts from a body of documents compiled published under the title Defense Evidence Rejected by the Tokyo Trials, which encompasses eight volumes and 5,500 pages. The fact that such enormous volume of evidence were rejected itself would show the true nature of the Tokyo Trials.
As an introduction, Dr. Kobori summarizes legal basis for the Tokyo Trials, how the trial progressed and how evidence was treated there. He points out that rejected defense evidence can be divided into two categories.
One embraces evidence that was deemed propagandistic, self-serving, or restating of personal opinions. The “propagandistic and self-serving” label was applied to proclamations issued by the Japanese government and views expressed via newspaper articles. Most of the excerpts from books written by Ambassador Grew, British Ambassador Sir Robert Craigie, Sir Reginald Johnston, Johan Powell, and others were excluded because they were merely personal opinions. Explanations of the defendants and their counsel were discarded but most of the allegations made by prosecution were accepted.
The second category evidence related to communism. Documentary evidence justifying Japan’s response to the communist movements in China is mentioned in Judge Pal’s opinion. (Please refer to “Dissentient Judgment of Justice Pal”
( https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL02_1/65_S4.pdf ), p.157-158.) Pal offers an excellent interpretation of the threat of the communist movement to Japan. It was absolutely necessary for the Tribunal to hear the defense evidence in order to arrive at a fair decision as to whether Japan’s response to communism was in self-defense or conspiratorially aggressive. It should not have been dismissed as irrelevant William Logan so convincingly argued, however, it was rejected.
The evidence herein and the original book from which it was excerpted will reveal once and for all the Tribunal was a kangaroo court at which vengeful victors meted out punishment to the vanquished.
The contents of the book include some opening statements and summation of the defense partly rejected or not rejected in addition to the rejected evidence so that whole picture of the trials can be more extensively grasped.