East Asia
Justice Deferred: Japan’s War Crimes in Asia and the MacArthur Compromise
Holocaust Witnessed – East Asia Supplement
Between 1937 and 1945, Imperial Japan waged brutal
war across Asia, resulting in the deaths of over 20 million civilians.
The most horrific crimes occurred in China and the Philippines:
- The Rape of Nanking (1937), with mass executions and sexual violence
- Human experimentation and biowarfare by Unit 731
- The enslavement of women across Asia as “comfort women”
- The Manila Massacre (1945), where over 100,000 civilians were killed
Despite serving as the head of state throughout these
atrocities, Emperor Hirohito was never tried for war crimes. The
decision to shield him was led by General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers, and supported by President Harry Truman
and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The MacArthur–Hirohito Deal: MacArthur feared that
prosecuting Hirohito—revered in Japan as a living god (Arahitogami)—could
provoke mass unrest and jeopardize the U.S. occupation. Instead, the emperor
was retained as a symbolic constitutional monarch. In 1946, Hirohito
renounced his divinity and called upon the Japanese people to accept defeat and
cooperate with Allied reforms.
Behind the scenes, MacArthur’s staff worked to exclude tribunal evidence that might implicate the emperor. Blame for Japan’s crimes was instead directed at military officials such as Tojo Hideki. This enabled the U.S. to rebuild Japan as a Cold War ally, while bypassing full accountability.
- “The Japanese people looked to the Emperor as the sole source of authority, and I had no doubt that if he so desired they would follow him even into revolt or suicide.” — General Douglas MacArthur, Reminiscences (1964)
- “The Emperor, as he told me later, was prepared to take responsibility for the war if it would help his people. But I did not want him indicted.” — Reminiscences (1964)
The personally signed copy of Reminiscences displayed
below represents more than a memoir. It is a window into the mindset of a
general who chose political stability over legal reckoning—a choice that
continues to raise questions about moral compromise in the pursuit of peace.
Photograph Title: Soviet Prosecution Introduces
Manchurian Military Maps
Date: October 14, 1946
Location: War Ministry Building, Tokyo, Japan
Photographer: Wegner, U.S. Army Signal Corps
Collection Reference: WPA-46-68230 | Photo No. 686
Description: This black-and-white photograph captures a pivotal moment during the International
Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo War Crimes Trials), held after World
War II to prosecute Japanese military and political leaders. The image shows
Soviet prosecutors presenting large wall-mounted maps that document the expansion
of Japanese military installations in Manchuria between 1931 and 1945—key
evidence in the case against Japan’s prewar and wartime aggression.
Seated before the evidence are members of the Allied tribunal and several of the 27 defendants charged with crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Allied military police in armbands maintain courtroom security. The courtroom is located in the former War Ministry building in Tokyo.
Transcription:
WPA-46-68230 14 OCT 46
RUSSIAN PROSECUTION INTRODUCES MAPS IN WAR CRIMES TRIALS: MAPS
SHOWING THE INCREASE OF BARRACKS AND
MUNITION DUMPS IN MANCHURIA FROM
1931 TO 1945, ARE USED BY SOVIET PROSECUTION IN TRIAL OF 27
LEADING JAPANESE WAR CRIMINALS AT THE WAR MINISTRY BLDG.,
TOKYO, JAPAN.
PHOTOGRAPHER—WEGNER
From Immunity to Honor
Emperor
Hirohito’s U.S. Visit
and the Politics of Forgotten Atrocities
In this official photograph, President
Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford welcome Emperor Hirohito and Empress
Nagako to Blair House, the official guest residence of the White House. The
visit marked the first time a reigning Japanese emperor had set foot on
American soil. Three decades earlier, Hirohito reigned during Japan’s wartime
atrocities, including the Rape of Nanking, biological warfare, and the enslavement
of comfort women. Though he served as commander-in-chief, Hirohito was granted
immunity by General Douglas MacArthur, who believed prosecuting him would
endanger the U.S. occupation. By 1975,
Hirohito had been recast as a Cold War ally and symbol of reconciliation. Yet
for millions across Asia, his honored status embodied the failure to confront
Japan’s wartime past—and a justice never delivered.
General MacArthur’s Proclamation
Liberation and
Leniency
October 20th, 1944
“I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces
stand again on Philippine soil... the hour of your redemption is here.” - General Douglas MacArthur
MacArthur’s return to the
Philippines marked the fulfillment of his wartime promise to liberate the
islands from brutal Japanese occupation. His words inspired hope, resistance,
and national renewal.
Yet in the aftermath of victory,
MacArthur took on a new role—overseeing the Allied occupation of Japan. There,
he chose to shield Emperor Hirohito and members of the imperial hierarchy from
prosecution, arguing it was necessary for peace and stability.
The same general who vowed to free the oppressed also presided over a postwar policy that left many perpetrators of wartime atrocities untouched.
In the days and weeks following Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945, millions of leaflets were dropped by American aircraft across Japan, China, the Philippines, Burma, and the Pacific islands. These documents—simple, direct, and often bilingual—served as the final message of war, aimed at ensuring that every soldier and civilian received notice of the empire’s collapse. While radio broadcasts reached the cities, many isolated Japanese soldiers and outposts refused to believe the war had ended. These leaflets were their only link to surrender orders and the promise of humane treatment.
Mainland Japan Leaflet:
Translation: Regarding the Imperial Headquarters Proclamation on Surrender
🇯🇵 Translation
(approximate):
To the people of Japan:
Japan has formally accepted the terms of the Potsdam
Declaration.
The Emperor has ordered the Japanese government and armed forces to surrender
unconditionally to the Allied Powers.
The Imperial Headquarters has issued a proclamation that all
Japanese forces are to cease hostilities, lay down their arms, and remain in
their present locations awaiting further instructions from the Allied military
authorities.
The Allied forces will disarm the Japanese military and
occupy certain regions of Japan to ensure peace and stability.
This process will be conducted with dignity and discipline to avoid unnecessary
bloodshed or disorder.
The Emperor has spoken directly to the people, emphasizing
the importance of peace and the need to endure the unendurable to prevent the
destruction of Japan.
The Imperial Headquarters calls on all military personnel
and civilians to strictly observe the orders issued and cooperate with the
Allied forces during this transition period.
Imperial Headquarters
August 1945
Occupied Territory Leaflet:
Directed to
Japanese Troops in China, Philippines, and the Pacific
Translation of the Leaflet (Occupied Territory Version)
📰 Front Text (Vertical Script, Top to Bottom):
米軍機搭乗員の命は国際法により保護されています。
アメリカ軍の命令に従ってください。
Translation: The lives of American airmen are protected under international law. Please obey the orders of the American military.
📝 Main Body Text (Vertical Block):
日本國政府はポツダム宣言を受諾し、連合軍に全面降伏しました。
日本帝國大本営は全軍に対して武器を置くよう命令しました。
すべての軍人と軍属は戦闘を停止し、その場に留まって、連合軍の指示を待つように命じられています。
連合軍はすでに日本の主要地域に上陸を開始しています。
命令に従わない場合は国際法違反として処罰されることがあります。
Translation: The Japanese government has accepted the Potsdam Declaration and has unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces. The Imperial General Headquarters has ordered all troops to lay down their arms. All military personnel and associated civilians are ordered to cease combat, remain in place, and await instructions from the Allied forces. The Allied forces have already begun landing in key areas of Japan. Failure to comply with these orders may result in punishment as a violation of international law.
✉️ Bottom Caption (English + Japanese):
Please bring this leaflet to the nearest Japanese unit or soldier.
🔍 Purpose and Use
This type of leaflet was intended to:
- Inform scattered Japanese troops and civilians—especially in occupied or remote areas—of the surrender.
- Encourage compliance with Allied occupation procedures.
- Reduce resistance and prevent continued guerilla warfare or rogue military activity.
- Signal that airmen, POWs, and civilians are under international protection.
Japanese 10 Yen “Short Snorter”
Banknote
Japan, c. 1943–1945
Ink on paper with U.S. serviceman inscription
Issued by the Bank of Japan during World War II, this 10 Yen
note features a portrait of Wake no Kiyomaro, an 8th-century noble
remembered for his loyalty to the emperor, and an image of the Goou Shrine
in Kyoto. Although this currency circulated only within Japan, this particular
note bears unique significance as a personalized artifact from the postwar
Allied occupation. The handwritten inscription reads: “Yurakucho
Japan / Gene 5 to 233 A053 Caliente”
It likely references a U.S. serviceman named Gene,
stationed in Yurakucho, a Tokyo district that became a central
administrative and recreational zone for American forces after Japan’s
surrender. The remaining notations—possibly a billet, APO number, or internal
designation—and the word “Caliente” (likely a nickname or reference to a
hometown in Nevada), turn this note into a Short Snorter: a keepsake
passed among Allied airmen and soldiers during their travels in the Pacific
Theater. Short snorters served as informal mementos of camaraderie, endurance,
and survival. This example reflects the human dimension of the postwar presence
in Japan and offers a poignant contrast to other wartime currencies associated
with occupation, exploitation, and atrocity.
Object Title: Japanese Government Yen Banknotes –
100, 50, and 10 Yen
Date: Circa 1946
Issued By: Japanese Government under Allied Occupation
Medium: Printed Paper
Collection: Yavneh Klos Collection
Panel Description:
These notes were issued during the Allied Occupation of Japan after its
surrender in 1945. The phrase “Issued Pursuant to Military Proclamation” marks
them as official postwar currency, backed by the authority of the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP).
In contrast to wartime money, these notes circulated
domestically and reflect Japan’s transition from militarism to
reconstruction—under foreign oversight and amid economic hardship.
Object Title: Japanese Government Yen Banknotes – 100, 50,
and 10 Yen Denominations Date: Circa 1946 Issued By: Government of Japan under
Allied Occupation Medium: Printed Paper Collection: Yavneh Klos Collection
Panel Description: These yen notes were introduced during the U.S.-led Allied
Occupation of Japan following its surrender in 1945. Each note is printed with
the phrase, “Issued Pursuant to Military Proclamation,” signifying that it was
authorized under the economic restructuring enforced by the Supreme Commander
for the Allied Powers (SCAP). Unlike Japan’s wartime currency, these notes were
circulated within Japan and were part of the nation’s transition from
militarism to recovery. Their plain design and martial language reflect both a
subdued economy and the oversight of a former enemy now tasked with rebuilding
the Japanese state.
Douglas MacArthur, Reminiscences — Signed First Edition
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964 | Cloth hardcover with original dust jacket
Signed in ink on the half-title: “Douglas MacArthur”
Collection of Stanley and Naomi Yavneh Klos
This
signed first edition of Reminiscences offers General Douglas
MacArthur’s official narrative of his military leadership, particularly his
role as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers during the occupation of
Japan following its 1945 surrender.
Within
its pages, MacArthur justifies his controversial decision to exempt Emperor
Hirohito from indictment during the Tokyo War Crimes Trials. He depicts the
Emperor as a ceremonial figurehead—uninvolved in military decisions—and argues
that preserving the imperial institution was essential to avoid civil unrest
and ensure national stability during reconstruction.
“The
Japanese people looked to the Emperor as the sole source of authority, and I
had no doubt that if he so desired they would follow him even into revolt or
suicide.”— Reminiscences, p. 302
“The
Emperor, as he told me later, was prepared to take responsibility for the war
if it would help his people. But I did not want him indicted.”— Reminiscences, p. 303
What
is absent from the memoir is equally revealing. MacArthur omits any mention of
the extensive evidence linking Hirohito to key wartime decisions—including the
invasions of China and the Philippines, the abuse of prisoners of war, and the
exploitation of occupied populations. Much of this evidence was withheld or
downplayed by Allied authorities under MacArthur’s command to support a
political strategy that prioritized stability over full accountability.
As
such, Reminiscences is more than a personal reflection; it is a case
study in how justice, memory, and geopolitics converged in the aftermath of
the Asian Holocaust. The decision to protect the emperor would shape both
Japan’s historical narrative and the limits of justice at the Tokyo Trials.
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