The Tokyo Trials

   Years after the massacre, criminal trials were held. Japanese that were not class A criminals were tried near the homes of their victims. However, the class A war criminals were tried at the Tokyo Trials in Tokyo. These trials were held by the IMTFE (International Military Tribunal for the Far East) and lasted from May 1946 till November 1948. The prosecuting team consisted of justices from eleven countries, including China and the United States.

   Twenty-eight men were prosecuted for, "...mass murder, rape, pillage, brigandage, torture and other barbaric cruelties upon the helpless civilian population..." Eye-witnesses gave testimonies of the atrocities. Of the twenty-eight men, twenty-five were found guilty. Of the other three, two died during the trials, and one had a mental breakdown. This man was later released free from the psychiatric hospital. Seven criminals were put to death by hanging, sixteen were sentenced to life imprisonment, and two had lesser sentences. However, all the criminals were let out on parole after eight years.

   Although Japanese criminals were charged and convicted, many Japanese citizens slowly developed a denial of the Massacre. During the war, because of the heavy Japanese control over the media, few Japanese civilians knew about the horrible atrocities. They heard only about the heroic war figures. The facts released during the Tokyo War Trials shocked the Japanese public. Many books were written on the subject. These include a major work by Katsuichi Honda, The Journey to China, a collection of interviews with survivors. At that time, there was no public government denial of the massacre, but there was not any official public acceptance of responsibility either.

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