In the aftermath of World War II, Sugamo Prison housed some of the most infamous Japanese war criminals, including Premier Hideki Tojo and I. Torgui D’Aquino, better known as Tokyo Rose. In all, more than 2,000 war criminals and protected witnesses were held at Sugamo. Nearly 60 prisoners were executed and many others were sentenced to prison terms.
This story of a largely forgotten part of World War II, by a man who was a Sugamo guard for more than two years, gives an inside look at the prison. Details are given about the prisoners (classified A, B, and C, based on the severity of their crimes), the trials, the sentencing, the executions, and the American guards. Appendices include listings of the accused and those executed, and a roster of American personnel.

John L. Ginn, a retired agricultural reseacher, lives in Emmett, Idaho.

John L. Ginn
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 311
Bibliographic Info: 51 photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [1992]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6762-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0820-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      ix
Introduction      xi

The Prison      1

The Prisoners
Class A      15
Classes B and C      33

The Trials
Class A      37
Classes B and C      56

The Sentences
Class A      121
Class C      137

The Executions      177

The Americans      195

Reflections      241

Appendix A: Names of the Accused      247
Appendix B: Potsdam Declaration      259
Appendix C: IMTFE Charter      261
Appendix D: Full Text of MacArthur’s Review of the War Crimes Sentences      267
Appendix E: Sugamo Prison Roster, 1945–1952      268

Bibliography      289
Index      293

“a useful chronicle”—American Society of International Law; “valuable…fascinating”—Academic Library Book Review.