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HEADQUARTEAS
EIGHTH A${V
Unlt'ed States'Arny
Of,fice of the Steff, Judge .Advocate
,
yokohona, .Japan
t.Febnrary 1949
;.
i '
UNIIED STATES0F AI{ERIoAVs WTArA 0DA4A19A
qNItED STATES0F AI'ERICAVS KAORU
olfi{'n"
UNITEDSTATESOT'A},ERICA
vS NAO?!,DA
TUJITTIRA
UNITEDSTATESOF AI.,ERICATJSKITOHTSA
NOIIO;
Ut'lITErD
STA?ES0F Jri.liRICAlIS T{III}IEHIXO
IAI{AIIOTO
Revlew of the Staff JucleeJrdvbcete
1. The-attached record of trlal of the Case of Yutaka 0dazawa,Kaonr Olruna,
NaotadaFr:Jlhira, Klyohlsa Noto, and TsirnehlkoIarnamoto,trled at Yokohama,
Japan, ttgt zz.June L94.8to 6 July L9lr8r'by e Milttary cönqleslon appointefl $r
paragr.aph*r Speqial Orders Nunben136, HeaclquartergEighth Arrqyr Ualted S'ates
Ary, dated 16 Ju4e 1)48t havlng been referred to the Staff Judge Advocata, this
revlew thereof ie sublnl+"tedto the QonmandlngGeneral.
:
llAllEr Ir{aka Oclapa-vdä
: '-.. .' -'
A G E I .3 9
.
- n$IDql$lg: Guuna-icen,iTöüegun, *
-. ShllEsawa-.mra, 2aI 922.'
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::llARIT4t $?J.TUS:.'Dgrried'; -&-'
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t€btld.
6rn$fittlre3:
REIÄTfVBS:
S_$", l-{b11ü,
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2?January lghg ---. .
D$18.{F..eflFI}E}Elmz
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.DAIE:0F-ARRhIGNMEI'IT;
??rltu;rö 1948
- PIACF bf tnUtriokoharna, Japan ...:--:
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d&rry
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s!üc*TICN: Primary $ch6otr. Nayal
...--Grrnner
5
School.
trEl'DE?
BYcou':rۧrOt':'No.
örel.oot'cy
RECo
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VQCI:.TION: Farner
-i
!4ILITÄRY.CARIIB:
Japanese Navy.
Flir.ge L929 - Discharged- L7
_January- T946; {lghest ian!:
Junlbr Grade
LlEüaflrrt
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IIAHE, Kaorrr Ofuma
AGEg 35
RESIDDTCE: 735 Salto-machi, Kamo-gtln,
Hl.roshlru-ken
iiARITAL STAfltSi Married
REI.S,TIVFS: T[l.fe, 1 Child, Father,
üotberr & 3 Brothers
EDUCATIOF: NavaL &rglneer Acadeny
VOCATIOI{r Not Glven
I'filITÄßY CAREERT Jatrranese N-avy aince
'
25 lterch L937 - Di'achareed' 25
Jenuary' L946l Highest Rankl.
Eieutenant Conmander'
z 29 Apr11 1948
DATE OI CO\T'n'..lEl::ElIf
DJ'TE0F /r-RRAIGM{EIT:.22 Jvne L9l+ß
Yokohana, Japan
PL|CE 0F IR,IIL:
PERI0D 0F TRIAL: 22 Jrue L9lr8 = 6
JuLy 19/18
DATI OF SBITEJICf: 6 JU1Y 1,948
SDllTEl.rCE: Death by henglng
BY C.OItTSSfOll:' No
CLEI'EiSYRECO:.EI'IDED
Ml,lEl t{aotada FuJthtra
AGS: ?7
RESIDE{CE: Chlba-kenr Isunl-gun,
Asuns-nura t l&Q Nlttano
IERIr .L STATUS: llarled
DA1E OF OolIFIlrEl'tr1{T: LO l,g'y L9ß
DAIE OF /rXR/.IGMIENT: 22 JwP I9l+8
PUiCE 0F 13IAI,: Yokohanar JaPan :
22 JvlLe L9lß - 6
PERIODOF ItTrts
July 1948
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PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
. ' ' . ' - . : . ' | . - ' . | i - ' ' . . . ; . ' j : - ' . '
DATEOFCO}iFI}IEIISIT
t ,29 Janrre:py194?
DATE0F Af$-A'ICMIBI'I
t 22 June 19/+8
0F
T'BIAL:
Yokohaina,
Japan
PIAOE
PERIOD'
0F'TRIALr; ?2 June 19/,8 - 6
. July 1948
S-rg9.LsE}{$fu^r ! Ju\r 191i8 r;;. r . ,
SENIEIICEr,.
CHLfrr 20 years, i
[email protected]!,i:S{DED.gy
OOu|l,-$SSiONr
No
.
CONü'DrEMiNir!Ö 4prilJ946'.
'.. DAIE.-OF
DAIE 0F ,i8f,.ß.I01!f'{iE}$z--,,22
June 1948
.
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-ItB'fTAL ST$TUA:
$i4gle
-Tather,
nEM[,ftTIvESf
.lfirith-eflt'.
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-
- . B r o t h e r e ,& 1 S t g t ä r
.Tokyo A'grlculturaÄ,
-EDttrCATIONi
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rgnivi
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Chergear Accused, at the tlrnda:and
placee set forth ln the epeclflcatlons
üereto at'uached, dld vloläte the Lev:e
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and Custons of War.
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-'.lapirnese . Navy';s irr ce lElIlJIRi"CliSggRt
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Oetober. L9l&,.-,.Dlscharged'2ls'
Jairuary l9l'6t Hilheet Rankr
Lioütenant
Synopsls of Chargest
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Aäeistant-froGssorr.Iligh .
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Spr Thst ln or about {q89,1941*rat
Katltru leland, ller Gulnea, tho
N:G
Ies
accused did: {tilfuilV
and ün1arftüly
klll Seeond Lloutenant Robert'Thorpo,
an Aroerican hleone
of $rar, !y
(Ae arrendsd R 5)
beheadlng hin.
(p e or
''W",
oda.ppr-q
$,be.fi'Jz))
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PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
P.'tubZ
Chgrgel Acgused, a! the ltnqa. aad
plaeee sot forth tn'the rppocl8iÖEtiottE
hereüo at' ached1..tlLd vloLate the Laws
and Cuetons of Wafrr
' . ' '
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Iee
:
Sp,'li That ln: or. about,Jwo 19tJ, at,
c
Kalrtnr Islendr. NewQdnear ttro aecused,
'. ,
dld willfblly
aird unlawffilly üle-treat:
Sooond.Ll.etrtänant Robert tfrärper' an
Anericgn Prlso4er of lear, Uy üeätfng htn.
Yes
.
G
Fp 2: Tbat in or about June L94lrr ct
fäf"ff
is1and1 Ner Guinesr the aäeused
dld wtL1fu1Lg an{ ur.Lawfirlly order, cairse,
dlrgct, and pqrrnlt the beating.oJ Second
Lleutenant Robe$ Thorpel an AmerLoan
Prisoner of Far. . .
.
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Sp 3.r f-haü in ,ör qbout Jrrne 1944i: at
. T e
fafuftr
Island, New Guinea, the.accused;
dld, wlth others, willfrrlly.and
unlanfuL,ly
r:n1awfir1
in
tho
ki.llirg
of
5*;rttclpate
pagond trLeutenant nobert Thorpe, an
' Aüerlcan Prisonen of F.ar,
1 .
-
' Yes
.
.
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Tee
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:
Sp;,4'l Ttret ln,or &out Jwte J:9t+l+:.at
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Kaldrtr''fslandr l[ew.Guigga, the.-agcused
. -dfa rg+fr:ffyäa
tttt*inidfiy orä"*, "aoö", dlrect,
-iuA pFrmit thb-rurlawfirl-'Fi++g of Sccönd'!
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.
LJgulenant Robort-Thor$i sn AricrlC0fi
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5t Th;t ln or aborrt'June Wtolr, atNG
Kelrlru IsLan4; New Gulneä; thd qccused
dld wfüfully
or$e_r, causee
änd upJawfulli
dlreet, and pernlt the unLavrfullf,osecrotio.n
!r
of.the bo{y'of, Seeond liieutenant.Robert
Thgrpe, an-Äneriögri Prlsoner of lfarr
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Chargo: Accusod, at the tinos and
pLeces eet forth ln the speclflcations
höreto attechede did vlölate the lälrtä
and Oqetqns öf :Far.
:
'on
Sp'Lr, '?hat ln o{ about lvne l9tr4i'
Kalriru lsland, Now Guinear the accused
rnistrea-b
did .w1jl$ü1ly- and unlaofully
Second Lleutenant Robert Thorper an
American Prisoner of War, by beajing
himi
NG
Yes
NC
Ies
Sp 2.i that in or about June 1944r on
Käfrifu Islancll Neq Gnrlnea, the aoorsed
and unlarf\rlly
clld, with others,, wltlfully
of
participate
ln the rlrlawfirl kllllng
Robert
Thorpe,
an
Second Lieutenant.
'
.
Auericgn- hLsoner of War;.
.
tI G
Yes
(p 3 ot
1l 2 QdazasaCase 1t329,
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PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
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Sp.h That ln,9r aboqq.June194/rr '
oh Soifl1u Islanifr,Ngw $utnea, ,the', :
"assused
dld wtllflilly
and ttnl"awtUlly
qidtroat $oeond.I;lg&enant Roboit I ,
Th6ipe, cin Ambglcart:Pilsonor'of I[ar; .
. W . b 9 _ ? t l 1ht 1g 4 ;r ' ' ' ' ' . , , , . ' . . ' ; " ', i - ' i :- - ' ,
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onlKälitnr,Is$rid;31ers,cutnpar'
^. _ ^' aeotrsoildldy_*vtth gllgT"f '$r-lL1fu1tly.':-.
Jho'.
rnd ulüawful,:g'baftlölpate'trt
' unLaftfirl. kllIfng of $ocond Ltogtenant'
nöbort Thorpe, än AnerJ.paäjtiäncr
of Tler,
a
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$rrbnsrv of the Evldencer
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About ZT l.tay L9lt4t SocondLlsutenant Robert Thot'pe, an Amerlcbn
' pilot, was etroi d"*n'"t;i K;fiini Island, .NewGuLnea. He swairäehore and was
captured by.the 27th Spcclal tlavol Base Forco, e Je.paneseNaval Unit statloned
there. ,He Fas bororrghtto Headguartcrs, lntcrrogatod, beotenl üsed as a target
f.or ptstöl practlcol and,:bobeadeci"(Drhrblts
21 3r 61 8, 10r'Ll-, l'zt 73t J4.l.
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persodnbl ofltho Untt and lts Headquartergare
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I{otoi.$aptaln - Chief of 'Staff;-and SenLor $taff Offlcer (U:1sZr.3r 6).
O}r$!Ä- Lbtrtenent oournänder-Adjutantl Englneer Offl,cer (Dß 6, lJt R117)'
Yananatö, trrslgb (n Ue) - ?elpphoneorrier\r (Et I2t R 138).
.
:
Odacawa,
:
.Lleuüonant- P1htogD'Ioaclqr(Ex 12).
" frrlffifrÄi Chief Petty offtcer - f,taleon officer (q* 12); rntendanceofa(Ex 6]
..' '
enänouori. l,,loutonanl - Cnrrf IntondaneeOffl.cer-(U A)! Paynaster (nx 3).
ibwada,',Liartenont - Adjutent (rx 6).
':
- phref Surgeon (ex 5) ?
t[Brr$ra;a-pEl,outorirentCoiinendeir,
.. ..
(nx
lr.pi.7)r
Soottoä
Suzukll
ModLCal
.'.
'öguv"r.rrtig
oeflcor - Mettlcal decträir (a gulclde) (Exe 31 7r 4).
,
-' Star | Offlcqr aad Area ConparyrConnander.
U;b|oAl, Lläutenant Oo"-,rnander
.
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(p /, of
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PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
--
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Kamezaki, Lieutenant ' Paymaeter (gc g).
Nagahara, Lleutenaat - Obsorvatlon post (nx 9).
'
Lleuüenant .Thorpc was*idontLfLed fron photographs (Exs L, 6, g;
R 11r 26);
b.
'
For the Prosecirtionr
(a) About noon a nesscnger came to Hoadqr:arters and annouced
the galrture of the grisoner of fiiari Sato or Nbto, or both, directed, 0kuma,
assisted by Amenornori, to conduct t[e interrogatton.
Ohrma and Anenonorl
awa5.tödthe arritral of the prisonor of $ar at the airrald'shelüer,
about 50
to 150 neters irorn Headquarlersr'whöre the lntorrogatlorr was to be-conducted',
About I2z3O to 1100 p.fi.r FuJihira and two guards arrived with the prisoner
ofvlbr at the air ratd sheLter.. About thirty enlisted nen and eome offieers'
were present.
0hrna was the senlor offlcer end ln charge of the interogation.
ft was coraplcted abbut J:OO-p.n. (Exs Z, 3t 51 61 8r 9, LI, LZ, l?, Ll+).
or four ninutcs.
He saw Okuna strlke thoprlsoner
ofruar throe or four tines
wlth his hand*across his feco.
The f?isonerrs facc vres bloedlng'and he haä
'v,arr.
severaL cuts.
He.did not See anyonc except-Okuna sürrte the'lriso.ner of
'frar.
tjub fron the cond?lion of his faee, ft was evident that:the iirison'er. _ot
. had been beaten -lbforb his (ustrtögits) arirvat. (nx e). 0n- öross-exanjnatioril
ho rteigd he'gaw on\y'oiro cut'bn the'prisolibbt$ faco'; hIE facc vrae not srvoIl€n;
ot r:9:r1-i:
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orgudtrgl-:J*tj-o)- .. : - ,,. ,
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Sqpq!.f anfi-Ihn-czaki statcdl4hdfluc-rg
.!'-'.''
at'thc
lnterrogatlo-n
hrt lt was obvlous thet thc'prisoncr
.-therei
oi $lar had been beaten slröq his_
'faco $as bruised and bleedlnf fgon a ftgeh cut (Ex'?;-8).
SuzukL statEd that
flyer
was to. be
.
_eiöcutea
(F
Z) .
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ploted;
ioit) r"offi:"l::ir:'l:ä'.:Hl:3!*rlli
;3"'
okl,na
*;:#"$f,5TLffä
bcaü the flyer could go ahead a:rd. do so. He savr at leost two or threc lnrmed- '
iate\y nrsh in and start to beat the frisoner of Har about the hced dtth their
golng on when he Left (Ax 3)
hendsi The Aeating rl'as still
(o) Kawada stotod hc saw Okurnastrike the frisorcr. of rmr
three og four tir:res r"rith a seni-0länbhod ftst for reftrsing to answer questlons.
libout twenty niinutes afber ho lcfbl Yänanoto told hin at Hcadquerters that
'
Okuna had. told those presoni that if thoy wished to beat the prisonwr of Qärp
they could do so, and theroupon sone of thc personnel beat the piisonor of
war-(Ex 6). Hc (Kawada), ühougtrthe recalled that AnenonorL struck the.ärlsoner
abd Yanaraototold htu ttrot fre (Yamanoto) hod elso hit hln (R 35, 39t l+O).
(f)
Nagaharg staüed yo*."oto üold hfunthat the prisoncr of
iar was beaten end slapped during ühe lntcrrogation
by Ohlrna, Ian-moto, and
eeveral othcrs (ex 9).
'
-
(g) 0kuna statod he was thc senLor officcr prcsent at the
interrogatlon and he we6 in charge. The llrisoncr of lbr wag not answefing his
queetions pror:rptly, and he slapped hin nith the paLn of hls hand. Äfter tho
all the enlisted nen rushed in and beet the
concluELon of the intelrogation;
'p'rlAonor
of wdr, He was preseui during five nlnutos of thls tine, and lhey
wero hittlng wlth open handsl fists, end woodon stLcks. Ho renenbered dlsThey
tinctly
at i,east for:r or flve enlisted rircn boatlng the prJ.soner of sar.
were blriking
hiur on the back and face and there wdre sone brulses on hls bo'ck
Noto bad glven htn lnstmcülons to intorrogate the prisoncr of
whon he left.
war, hrt gave no ordors about having the prtscn..,r of mr beaten. He reallzed
now that the beatlng of tho prlsoner of iar rvas ytrongr and he should have
stoppecl it (Ex 1I).
' ..
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,.,-^^\ PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
) (P 5 oe 17'
i)329)
9euT, 2:c
>('i.tr''ry'/,/.zJ
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t:ffi# -8ijl:.tJätffii,s,,J:t
.urrnsthernterr"lllr.llHit :d::is' *33"iltheir
to beat the flyer.wlth
enlisied men'proceeded
{ist.s gbggt,,!!e,fiiier.gna
perhaps blooclled hld nose. He ,thouglit'that 0kune sojd that If anyonevantg$
io Ueät the p'ri$oner of warl thäy c9ü1d do 8ö. ;He dl$ not thi.nk that he
'
(Yamoroto)trit ttq Fnieonär of vtar (Ex U1'.
:..
- ; : i .
:
(f)
inuifnga stated- that. on;coraplgllon of the .lnterqqgationr
Ol$rInaannounced to the apeembled gxoqp that the pr.lgoneq of tüar ,was going to
dle anyway, and anyone vrho wonüed cor*A beat hirn., HO thought he'(tr'uifh|:.,g).
of Tar ln ths faee one or two tlrnes slth hls opon hand'
struclithä-p.risonei
non'cotrl9l ,
ohüra wae in chargq ande afber. hls,'announcementr' s'oureofficetsr
beat the'prlsöner of *qr wlth opel hand's and fists,
enrlsted men, and-clvlllans
on the faeer'€ors; slde of hoad, and shoulders' lhe p1!,sonerts.temgles were
thä teetlng J.aoted about"five stlnübes (nx 13)r
eut, and tli fsce'blced!.ng,
{
(u) Ushiogl skited that'Ol<uüergported .tho results of the
inberogation to sätä. Notolcanö ln' ancto*arntnedthe report. Ho .(usrrfogi).
a_skedwüat dtspositLön would be nade of the igisoner of @r and Notg replted'
he worrLdbe etreouted. He {Ushiogt) heard 1n'th9 dlnlng foon : tüat 0dgzawe
fb1Low9d by Odazawa
Yaroarnotor
was golng to execute hlro. After lunchr:Olarma-a_ird
wlth-his-sword, returned'to Headquarters. Sato-askedlw4o w9-sgolpg-to exeiute.
'btieerlsoncr oi waf and cither Okunaor Yomano$c.Fgid
was golng to-do
Odczerwa
.ii.,'' Ho (Ushlogl). did lot lcnowwhdtlier,Odairsw.d
yolunteered of, waesolccted
'-to
"i1sw4da'beme-inand gaid-thot lloüö'had'told hfunOdazeEe
br.t*re ejxeöutiono".
-:
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tllä;.brisonel':et sar.' Olnua snq Yq!4rro-tft*lp*.bp!!
vourfkfU
trpv f$-g
'tte (Uttriryf)
undbrsüood-.'t..- -tbelJ pistols.. theylstieme'dto'be igqgoo.d.tpftfts.
- -_
qguy?.tnen
th6y rltre.6ö1ne to'shqöt tlig*q"itg-lor jf.it'ar. %yt
4I.T9!o' $9
r-':.3 ..
He (UEhlofl)_a1a-not knoü'"Fttt*.
l,efi for tf,e eiecuttorusc"'nätt6<ä^nlflc
- Eato or Noto had iesuod thö oiders for thc exesullon (R'221.
(b) fa*ila stätea gkttra roported-to.Noto, gi:Tg him-the_
'
uL
llstelhg.
Sato waf prcsent ond
report of the fnteiroglrtlon:
{qto pft
'dar.n
' -'_-
of üäc püSbntr of
hin (Oxurna')l&tspoi.
Sste- 9eld,n9!hingr- !.{
"üi-to"o
'Noto
tonard
Okrxnoc.nd ealdr.lTeke thc iFlsoner €ÖrIä{'
türned
headlhls
noctded
'The raeaning wge. plaln; he
want.rt
lherelariat dortaqairvtlh"Frtn A4ü my $.fou
'was
fbon Noüo-to Olaenep N,.,thlng.was
to bs oxecuted. It Eas a direct'order
lvrar
wösi to be shot or bö'beheaded.
of
said at the tl-ne1 whother ühe'Prlgonr,r
prlsonc-r.of.fvarp^pnd Noto gald
ühe
to'shoot
wanted
they
Otnrma
sald
and
Yglarooto
Notq üold Olune'to
it would be'0.K. He spoko wlthout esklngsato.'Afber
äi"p""ä
oi tl" p"iions'r of tiar, Olnrna tuined around and E'.skedfor e volrrnüeer
-behead:the
Before leävlng, Yanamoto
to
$lsonsr -of t*eri They then left'
pistols.
The orderly panp baok wlth the
got'hls
and
Otcunats
tio
hle
ordcriy
sent
two nistole "nd gavc thon to liuromoto. . ilo (Xawad6)rsoid to {amenoto, before
rc Läftt rlDonit Jtr,:ot"tds frribqnsr of',oüar.n. Yanamö!.o.sald he' wos'golng to', , :'
.precticä'on hirit t In about two, ör. threö nlnuües1 Ödazawgcans tq Headqrlarüers.
fie (fawaita) -tofä hfur that Okurü.hatt Left -to.exeöute lho prisoner of-r{ar and
-we.s.iookfuti'fot'a
volünleor to docapltate hip:..Odazgwa sald he would llke t'o
out him, ana rcft righü afüer thaü (Ex.6; R.lP).
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(p) oruna stated.he reportäd tbe regults of thg lnterroga.tloa
to ll^to. .At Lrrnchr-Sato.äna floto nontlonäd. the dispoeeL of tho Frlsoner of Yar
p.n., he saw ödaiäwa'wtth-hls. eword, and. conöluded.
W ä$""titf"o.--lUoütt3;@
i"h"i;;;;ti".o*".
eq.n*r.oia
tu'sxocuted.. He dld not know"hgüh91^39.,o1f-ef
,,
tä
baä"been ifiren io Oitazow*to üefread..lhg:'pr.tgonerof ähr;:'Xut' tlriöe Oijadawb'wad'''
tfrat he had vo1:nteered üo be the
a ve y bold felrowr ho. felt f,glrl.y'certatn
(Px
U.).
execf,rtioner
,
'..
(p 6 of
Lh &azawaCase#?29)
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(a) y.amsn'oto
"r^IffiAK#tr,.n:ro
rr"oaq,r"rror"
*di
reported to Noto afüor the lntelrogation.
Notg told thenn to take the ptlscinerof $ar out to .the eeashdre and exeaute him. IIe (Yarnarnotq)stoppea Uy ifs
quarüers g-na.gf0t<e! gn nrs- n!^stoL bocause Noto töta ttrerii'io:.e"ääoi"-"thu
trt"i"ooo"
of uisi.
He did not'locrw qhethoi'Noto'häd conferteä
--:: with
---- Sato tuio""-he ärdered
::----'
the;exäeqtlon (Ex 12)., ,
:
J--t
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:
,(g).,Q{azawa 9tatgd !hot, at {Uo air rald shetter, oln:rna
sald thc prisoner of war ras ggi.rrg_to be cxecuted by order of the Cömme,.nAfng
0fficer.
He (Odazewa).Yr09 to be the exocutionorl
OlnrnevraE hls lmnedlaöe
eouroandlng officer,
and he had to take ordörä' fyorn htnr (Ex l4).
prisoneror war""ii] #H:ffi"ätf.Heril-t
Notoüoldhtrnin'his tent that the
(g) Okugro,roturned, to'the aLr rald shofter and gave the
nen sone ord.ers. They lod the frisoner
of idar to the sceie of the
execution.. Odazawaaccomlnnied then vrith his sword. Whenthey arrlved et
the scenol tho_g1ave was elrga{y dgg. The prlsoner-of rfar was-bnonght near
the gqave and left stending.
All the arrangemontg had been foder Olnrna was
the senLor officer present and wäs. rn- chatrge and dlrectod a1l the procee4inds
( E x s 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 r ' . 8 _ ,t t , 1 2 r l 3 t V ) .
'enllstod
!
(h) OkuIID stated that ho wont up to Odozowaand asked hin.
.to italt a.monont be{pre he cut of,f the.Frlsoneits. headl qg hg-wante{-to practJ.ee
'.
shooting at tho. prl$ner
of.,üiari Odqza$a said-rilLright,
a?rd tre (Ot<urfre)-took .
.
his pisüoI and'f{rod: one-shot at.tho prisoncrrs- loft foot.
Hd lntencled'to hit.
hiar i;3!bo ankJe entl thid ryes.a looa oppörtunity go prdctfö'e'ptstol
narknnamltitf.
'- -:
He fjred only'oüe sho!'and:riqsed.
Whedhd.fUed,.he-_did not want to liill
t-'-".hlry. as 0dazerrqa'was
- Yän6iotä filea Jiwo sbots at.the-to 4ti tho'eiecutt&r.
- I . - -thlük n$ rrit trln. -lte trädpreviorisiy bpd e
irrlsonef,ts lng6; tqtheäio,iot
'cgrveräation
wlth Yanandto tn wlricb.ü.hoy ageed trhis vrould be a good.ofrpgltunttJf ---'.'3 pnäctlce
pistol
to
ehootlng by -flring at tho 1-egs prlor to the e:<ecutlon. :
:Tarisnoto,sglir trI vri.tl kllIaou-rvith
-r;
ny pistol't;
but lie';fired only at hlF
a4kle; firJlhira fi"cd one slot at the pll.sonorts anklre. .Afber he flred thts
s'hot,theiiq1sonerof.1Qrstaggcred;itiappearedtheFrisqnerof-.ftrtndbeon
rrlou ha:reirot'Aolre e good
gbot iq the-1og. Jpfor-to
firihgp FuJihbä'sald,
Job and'.lwlLl shär,you hos to aÄ'itr-ad I errran expert.n-(gx ti).(i)
Sr:zukt stated FuJihira took his plstol oüt of,'his
hols-tcr and f,ired one shot, ond struck the prlsoner of lnr ln the ldfb leg,
belo-w th9 kgee. There rvos blood on his pants log fron the shot (U Z). Tvto
other officors ftrod;-one hit the irrlsoncr of qar ln ühe stonach; one nlssed.
Odozawasaid to ehoot below the hlps; because if he were shot above tho hlps,
he would dio (R 50).
(j)
Yama:n:oto
stated tho,t Okuuro, FuJihlra, ond he drevr
pistol.s and prepared to shoot the Frisonor of war, when Odaäawasald, tshooü
to
him bolow tlre knoes. If you shoot hfun abovo the bo1ü, lt lvill be dlfftcult
bohcpd hin.il
He (Yananoto) then *lred twLce at the prfsoncrls shin, He
thought one, shot nny have'hlt hfun. O-kumaand l\rJihlra
then each flred at the
pqisoner of wa.r. He boLieved the prisoner of rrye.rwas etlll
sf,anding afüer ühe
L
ehoot5.rng (nx fZ) r
(k) I\rJihira
IIe thought one of
stated Olnrna fired first.
,
his shoüs hit the .Frieonor of wcrr tn tho leg, and thought he saw blood. Sotleone
'of
rär rcould not
eald the ftrlng would bö below the knoeel so thst the p'rlsoner
te kl1-led and could later bo decapltatod. l He flred bfber Oktrne, Before Oküno
fired, he (Fujthlra) asked pernlsiion to fire also. Okuna sald 1t lcas a1L
right.
He asked pelrrission becriuse Okurs, was the senior present and.ln charge
of everything.
Iamenoto and Okuna cautloned hCn to sboot below the lnees.
(p ? of
L/, OdazawaCese#3291
li".tf..*aaZ
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
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R"''fr'"fu
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Ho felt 6orry for ths irrlsongr. of w'ar and p,ulposely nrlssed hir:r.
one shot. Ianarnoto ftreO aftän hin; one'of Yariigmotols:,shotEliit
:
of rar ln the kneo and blood wolLed out (Ex L3).
.i..
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Ho flred. on\r
the Frls_oner-
.
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'
_(1) Odaae,wastatqd C[nimawas ,6iiv{-ng t}ro.orders add tsld hin
.thet:beföte'höl behbadedthö frlsdnör of for:',he'liäe:to'bo.Ch6t'flsst.,,'Ol(lnüB
flr@d ono 6hot'first,
anil'Yanahoto'a1eo'flred a'shot. '.Ho,waä'falrly certaln
that both.shotsi etnrck th9 Prtsgngr oi w.är, .4ttbf, the two slotsr,-lho'Frlsoner
,
t'
,,,
,
;t
,, ,.
,l
, ,
+ao, .,
'
pri.soner
Kon"u"Lt etated lonuroto and okusa $r.a'ütthe
iil
of war wtth thelf pistols.
After ope gf the ehetsr the irrlsoner of ror fell ,
to hts kneos. 'They dinsd at his:lgEet'. He''ttorrghttr\rJihlra f,irecl'a shot,(nx 6l
R 59)r' The ofileere wero about tännetors frdm the irflsoner of:tvar whenthey
öf ilar fell to. hlslknee!, (Ex u_)..-i
fired (n 65).
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(n) ' The fLyer wa'b pbeed.i.n tlie:hneeling posltiön gt;the
tll änr gotng to befread you.urder
edgb'of the,grave, 'Odazawa said tU the flyor,
'fI
(R
(Ex
golng
yout
ordorsrr
to k111
8); ,tlr'Odazowar'wi11 norsproceed
arn
52)i
rrYou
(ExL2)i
go
to'öxeöüto-yous
qilI
to
Paradise, and I will follorv you
.
fife!
latei,ontt (px 13)i nnre to the wari'lt banuot boihelpecl; I w111 dlspose of
youn (nr U*) . He thon poured wated bp; tho Prd.gonor! e neck end on his Eamuai
the grlsoner of tver in thb back
Ervord.' T'I.tth oäp.bloq of, tho,swor{r'he,stfuqk
öf the neekr -The heed yras uot cohplotely seVered, ,but wgg.hanglng by a enall
btt.offlIosh.Afte1theb1ow,thoprisoncr'.of.rgrfe11tnto-.thegrave(Exs
, : , : . 1 1 ' 1 2 ' . 1 3 l s' . . . ' ] . . . . . . . .
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',
(6) Af{pr the' e:rocrfribrr,
Okinr{. ond Tanfnioüo'reported to ' -'strot
-:
p'qiso&f^of rnar .ond. tha,t'gdaäawb
t*rg
Satö. aT Headqrlaiters ühat:'they had
.-that h-e"',-- *.-haÖ.boheadodhln (gc 2; R.19):'Ihe'h6xt.daliötnunc't-o1d-fmenoori
-_
(otrmna):, vqaäoto, Ena-iüll.hire haüahog trreiylisono:r gi'ta3 wlt6 thelr pjstols,
:
--- -fu,l.ow tho kneesl and the flyer_hadjhen becft.bohcaded (Dc 3)-- That evenSgr'-'..'-''i''--.O-lfln6and.Yanenotostetod that, prlor to tho beheading by OdazawalO-kuna1,.:;;.'rgr
.ra
. - p trYunanotorl
s t o 1 ' s ; t h os1fl
t w hFuJLhfue
e n t J r e phad
r 1 sltre?
& c r o fgtw nühe
r w alqge
s b r oof'the
u g h t t Fltsoner
h o r e . l t wof
a 3 e g rwLth-thefr
eed.thät
-
-
'lcgsr-and €daaawa
'lre 'a!. the.prisoncr
f,lqst they wouLd
of wlrrl.alning at his
-Frisoner
.bcheed
would
of tb,r wes'to be flrod otJfl $bb lgeq,. eö'tÄaüy;
hin.-'Tho
he would faLl.anf-tjö ln a positioir to.'bi eesily bc.hqacba.tiy0dazatra (pr 5). ,'
.After
tho execuüion, eithei.Yanonoto or Okrrr:rptoLd fiowadn.thaü rvhen they
(Yarqamotoand Okurn) weru going to shoo$ the pgisonbr.of,far,
0dazawa.t'o}d.!her0.
bodyr dE he vnntöd
not to shoot tho;ilrlsoncr ofi0er ln the uppcr part.ofhls
to docapitato hln.
Thoy ained.aü the tsiÄonerts Leg6. Afbcr the ohootlng,
ttro ?rlsbnor of *ar fe1l- tntg a knoqlSng positlon and Odaaawadecapltatod him
of rr+i
(nx 6;.. Aflqr thc execuül.on Yonamoto täId Nagaharri that thb lrlsomr
hfun
hlttlng
(Yananoto),
shots
tho
one
of
uae elot at by h!:r
Olnrno, ana I'rrjihira,
prlsonpr of:\tar lt'as d'loapltatpd. Fy
in tbe lqgr. e.pd that folLowtrig.thls;ltho
''
0dazawa. (r:c- .g)r.
i,
, . : . . .' . .
'
,'(p) At a conferonce in October.lor Novernber.Lih5l aftci the
by
war, ettended
Sa!o1 Noto end sevsral othersl Seto and lloto ordered aIL to
r.rainüa!.n.sil.cuce coricorning the exeöutl.ons at Kalrtru and, lf questlonedr !o ,-.
state the prlsoner',of wer had died of dj.see.se(nrs.3, 5r 6t 9t L\:I3l,F.'3lr'66).
q:.0{nr4g!:. Not ,Guilty.
'...(3) '$s to: Socoifl.cetton
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"11:n"oificatlons). ..., .,, .
. 1
(1) Captcln Noto stated hc told OkunB to lnterro;atö tfie irtooner
of ws1. l|u-(flsto) ,pao o report about the prlmner of ira4 t-o Saüo ln hLs
tent. _sato dianqi say onyühiirgf .A'11tt1e'.;bt1e-La!er he-'wa3'ordored-btr.Saloe
t9. exocuts thc Fflgqnef.P'. -....';; .
!$eby the nespage !ö-Enginäer-Sü"ff,Offtqcr
,bonväräätlon.
ttrc
durlng
nö
onä
"i""1*Ä"
,äoerry
;$e stoted'.pe.'pnofesüed
,
iqebent
ür when bc qas.'
th6.lrisoryr-o{
noü.ilght
Sato,
and
inü.ft.wag
lo'exOcutg
.to
'not'a
japq.n,tlrtlf,
n1
of
*ainr':nd
iüo
tn
'
f,sve'bcqn
spy. sai" ;ä:ainödr:
. ( p 8 of
i7, oaosooa'öztlefi329)
o
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PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
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Ka'k-ubtl/L
I
recently end I have tho latest lorowledge or' the ha'nd1-ing of pTis,ong3s of war.
Those Anerioan fIi'ers who took part'in the air raids of the nainLand of Japan
I
I
lave beenexecuteä,and und.ertä".p"osorri'-il""..r*"tancesthar-;il.il";i"äi"]'
I
e
f9rc9s hove landed in the western a?eas,(Hollandia and Aitape), the,bxecution 5
of
-tlg Frisoner 9{ War oannot be he3-ped*n He clid not listen to his protest,
9"d the conversatiop was closed. He nas o staff off,icer, and if'he ttad.not'
connanding officer,
he woulc havc bben senteneed
{ollowed out the orders of the
rrFall-urc to conply rviüh Qrdqrsrr, in the Naval
to deeth under the Article,
Penal Code,. In the battlefleld,
insubordination is the heavicst offcnse of
tdliüary pcrsonnel. Eith reference to the word lspyrr, he rneant that it vres
vrrong-to execute a. drisoner of rrar morely beoeusc hc was a flycr;
lf he rras a
spYr he
bo tried .first,
and
gui3.ty,
if
for.ind
wouli.
be
executed.
Okurra
;
_would
He (Uoto)
. returned anc gave hin- (Noto) the report of hls inicrrogaüion..
relayed to hirn (Okurna)tho order fYom Soto, riE:<ccutet[c prlsoner.ri
yanar:oto
,
couLd^have bcen present at the tine.
He (lqoto) did not gä to the exccution
ground. Okwnareturned frorn the executlon ancl'roported to hinr the exec:.r,üion
had been coropleted. He'(Noto) reported th,i.s to Säto. He did not get a detailed
report.
He heard later that Od.aznwahad bcheadod.the flycr.
Because of the
crltical
conditibn existing at the tine, ho did not bclicve tirat thcre was
anybhing el-se that could bc dono cxcept for the cormlanding officor to oxecute
thq prisoher of tfar. Due to the e1isting tgfnoll,
porsoni in the rnilitary forces
could not be e:qpeeteclto act nornally (nx a).
In Decenbor L9/+5t he told a
Captain of the Austral-ion A:'ny investigatirrg ttre case, that_the prisoner of war
had died of di.seasen He a.dnl'bteclithis was a.Lie. but thoeo-were the orderd of
|u!o-; and.he was t}{-l..undcr hii ordcrs (R"S8r-9ö)i Hc-never heard the flyer
had been !,eo.t9n-r:ntir !q was put ih sugeno. {t was a eonplete surprise
' {n 93Iq, Even--ha,d
the flyer bäen tricdl- o"g_*,ifäg to the-"rnilitery
.
iunlshrirent.:'-regutr*f lons.
(n ga) ö-.at^ the.tine.r.:he. cöuld not hqve beeg'scnteEced to cl.ea*lr_
Aelo_rding to the -Japanosebodel thcyc wos,*ro'teasönrwfiy'the f{ycr shbulÖ havd r
::'Hc-did
be?n'orcecule! -(R *t;
be'en'oxeöu1ea-(n
Äiä-;.;;ät
not 4äy {;-sri"l-fi.äü:fr;"
lo Sato, nl"llij.Il;frn"
%), :Ä.
ffi'(Otrrna)
i,Ti,;iol"'*)
clispose'' '-''
ai'po'u''
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'rr
fou want.tt Hä aia not saf it wei
_
' turay-.anddo-:äwayrnrith'ir!rr.any,lüäy- J'..'.i.. .'
prisoner
for
Yanamoto
end
Okuna
to-r L
0.K.
shoot thc
of.trar.
He did not rücäIt
the conversatlon he was-n$+gecl to havo hed with lrtrarr4rama,
to tho effect that
ttre prisoncr of wer- would L-exccutee JR 1O/r),. He haä nu*rot. hcard the flyer
hed been used fontargQ!' picic'bi.ce until hG-caine to Sugaraq.(n-+05).. -Hc vrn€ nort
qgder sentence cf tnenty yea"s f-or conviction of alother'war- crirs (n fff).
(2) Ok-lr.n stated Noto .haclcliröctod hln c-ndAnononorl to conduct
the jnterrogatioh
of the prisoner pf tr|erö .there wcrc about fourteön or flftecn
peoplc et the intorrogaticn.
The ltrläohcftd ahswors were not to the polnt and
he struck hin'once liith tho open:ho.ndi Tlhoil the interrogation lees over, soneone sleppsd up to the f,ri-soner of iifar sayingr. lrl,et ne stri]re hinrt and struck
the prisoner of frar about tvrice on tho face. He clid not put a stop to thc
striking of thc prison",r of rar.
He reportod to lloto the rcsults of thc interrogqtl,hf . Siacc he hacl nothing to do at Headquartcrs, he thought he vroulC
cleojr his pistol.
So;bosaiC to'Noto, rrith qefcrencc to the disposltion of
the prisoner-of wcr, Kairiru Islancl is alreacly isolatcd, and we r.ust assune
therc is no possibility
of corrnrrnicatlon to the rear in thc firture or even at
present. On thisLsland there ls not a single personnel of tho Kenpeitai;'
there ls not even & suitable place of conflnenent.
Orr food and nedical supplies
are ext'renely- 1ow, and for this reoson, $Je ourselves are elq)osed to clangcrs.
I do not suppose thcre'is any othor way out thnn to cxecute the prisoner of
'wo.rr As a front-line
cornnanCingofficer,
f lri1l take ttre fu1L responsibility.o
Then Noto faced hin and ordered, ilRe1ay the nessege to Deck Officer Odazawa
to dispose of the prisoner of w'e.r in the vtclnity
of thc native cernetery at
the beach.rr Yamamotowas with hln at the tirne. Odazawavras in-the vicinlüy
so.he.gave hfunSatots orderi that was given hin by ldoto. He returned to
Headqüarters and contlnucd ctreanlng his pistol.
Aftcr cornpleting the cleaning,
he got up to return the pistol to hls roon, shen he sa.wthe prisoner of vier
be,i"g 1eä awey. He.saw öcazawa with his *ord.
WhenSato saw hin (okuns),
' ".
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rising hittr ttrc pistol, hc osked trAre you golng to shoot the prisoncr?lr
(p 9 or
Case#Zzq)
1[ Odazawe
;^1
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PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
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rilt appears.as,thmgü od*äawa,is golng to'bohca{=ii
{e (otnrne) idpltea,
,t!rärpc.t'oaörb.$.t: Sato said to h{nf ltIf thoprispncr
of iüar is CoÄd to bd'
SlJled, why'donrü:r'yoq test'your pistgl?o. !Ie- had no thought of iesidng hts
plstoL''rrltil
Sato r.:rentionocl,itl;: I!9 '(Olnrqra)answeredl ttl shall fire lt.and:
sse.rr, ,Ho...l-efüHeddqua,rter-s'and foLlowed,.tb the e.pecutigp gfound, When he
aryivod, tho p3{sqnbr .of Üatr.v{es standing at the holo wlth Odazawa. He
(O unrg) frag in a triJs:it1ön'aUoud.f5 to 29-"*1ers f.ronnthofpisoncr
of rar, ,He
yoq
t9 0dazawar-nlet me shoot.hih beforo
beheaä him.lr'0dazawe bäC.il,
,satfl
'nlf
tho hr-Ilet gsrikgs the.uppcf portion.o_f tlre body, lt will'makg it illfficult
tp'behead hin, so:ain any,plecc'below,the'!rip.r!,
It was not his'.intent"ion.t,o '.
iar, but to tesü. thg trtre porier. He had elready fjlanned
hi.1-l the prlsoner'of
on iäimipg at his' ankl-e. He nocld6d to .Odoapwarsifquos! .*C aimed and fird
at.thdl-anklg, lnrtlhe notj.ced no'.b,L9od. Yarspnoüothen btood beslde hln and seid
tp the prisöndr of w.ari trf wilt shpot you with ray plstoL.o
Ho did nbtikriovr
h.ow"nrnny'shots he fiied.;.'the $risonor of ih'r remaincd stdndi:eg. Fujihlre thctr
pane, {qorn'anong-'the' Spectetors and'sa{dr.,rrYou_rire.q poor shot; t_his is.the way
.'tö'shoot.u
He ffuöA'.one shoto. ,The.p_risbner of änr noved a Little;'
Odazawa
wönt.,qp to the pfisoner bf tra4r.pressed:on: !1trs,neck, and nnde him sl-t.down.
Hls:(Okur-iats) conscienee vrould not.p-qrrait'hib tg:retch the behoadlng; so he
:
'turhed. around and starüeci bc.c$" iHb thenglslpid':back
encl se.wpeoplo looking
ja the boLe; the Frisoner of, *ci vrgrs:$ot-"ön,rdtrü
edge of the häle; '-Heretuined
giying Yenqrnoto
to Heaclquai^ters (nx g),. He st{rte$'4e;had nq recollectlon,of
At '.;he iatörrogatiion, whon*he"said that anyono.lwho
-an o.rdgr to fire (n ffZ)',
hlnself"(R 119.. He _.
:.wanted to bcat @o;f1yer colrl.cldo sor he vrijs'talking{o
süaüed his.stai:or:ic.nt.cohtaired i.n his cdnfession (Elr ff) tfrat he was prösdnt '"
'
'
-'
..
afürl-fivq,
nJnutesi. wo.'sin cr::or'(i-reo):
itc üransr,rlttäd trrc ordcr of bdp-tain
(n']Bä)i'.He hee.üo
t*,ööU;c'troirf
ihqot.'
hed^uo t*,ööU;c'troirf
to ddazapg
ddazapa (n'Uä)r'.ne
$otq to
$otq
ägrrng-noto; trce+uf ihgot.'
ä*rng-noto;trcs+uf
:
-:Fnltl end-NqtorepJ-vindr..n0.l!"'L_:6s:statod
by Kagede:(R
1,2t).. He r:ndenötood'.."'
' -.
-:-'' - :H:"Io*ull'?r'i1f;."-B$."tiä'Hää:t"T1tH,,äl*'ilr?f"ä'il
li3',.il3'n?un&i"
He did not süop.I-\rJthire iind Yanarulto f"*
- ranklng officer presenL (n,fig),
.'
. -l
hacl rieqiren{iy oricourageashägtinq of'-:
sh;otiigluo"u*"rii,ä."o:d"."äini-officor
- 'pistols
for warrant officers ancl ab_ove;and they had knoylbdgg'anc!education'--*
mhat
toklow
ttrel'.ryera dr:ing; hc hat no,obicpüion to theirtitro.atin! (n fZp).
. ']Ie did not give-FrrJfhira 'or Y'arianoto.
pernipsioh to fi-fe; -ho.ieaaiired d5.ldirt;
- ,he
exccgted tle ?3-yor (n ffO1. He'.cou1dhave
was not at'the scenö r'rhenOdazavra
hs'iiished to do sol but the
stoppecl.the beating at tho,interrogetion'had
f,hought dld-not occur to him (B-r.32). Ocazawarvcs.in chorge of'the detcils'
vras the direct subordinate
.at the executlon gror:nCs; Odazawa, the dcclc officcr,
'
,of !4e VLce:Conr':ander.r.Nito (R 134).
pilsoner of'ürar is to bc cxeeutedr Anyonc who wishos to strlke hin, can do so'n
prlsonor of ,iiiar with their pare"hands. He
About ten porsons.struck.tho
tho4ght Okuna struck hin trzice. He followod thc füisoncr of rnr to the executlon
groünds.' Thc holc was already dug; Odazawacärnewittr hls sword. The f.riscncr
-of irar stood by tho hoLe; ho (Fujihira) ri'as to1c1 to flrc.et thc lrisonorrs
.Tho b!:lIet hit the lrieer'
khee, He belloved Yanonöto flrecl the first'H.!rgt.
''anti
He nis-elrycC
wäs pgxü to fir-e.
Uo (zu;*rirä)
he sa.wblood-cornlng äut.
of hltin.
i:1tentionallyl
Tho tri[lct htt the dust two br, three meters ln'front
olQ:sÄ flred n"x't', end he boLievcd ho htt thg priscnorts loret'' oc{a2dwa''öpproached
Ho was glven
tbe priSoner of rtar end.had hlm slt ln lbont of the'hole.
with weter.
p'rlsonerrs
cloanse.d
s
Odazawaf
swoid.ücrb
neck and
nater': ths
Odazowasoid, !i en also gcing to liaradisc lator, ,You.con valt for ne by golng
'
ohead of me.fr Hc sevbred-the neck with one'Uidw of .!hc sword, Just ]-eevl:rg
a1g iroü know"*ho
He (tuilhiqe)
The body fo].l ln'the hole (Ef b);
the skin.
garre him thö ordei-to flrer.:but he tl1ogght.{.r-re.s Okunra(R }-56): .II8'stated
thp-prisoner of raf.at the'lnterrogätlon
nbether fiä.struct<
[e dld not'recall
'fre
ngfrt .frövc süruck hirn (R' 1.58). " Ohlua sos
hand;
on"" or trcice with tho open
the senlor at thä,execution; .He-(zujfnfra)'had hls plstol wlth hln wtrenhe.
(; rb'ori
cesc#j29) '
37, odazase
'A,zoiifrZ
".
'
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
&'A;"tz
y"n! !9 the execution scene (R 159). He fired at theplisoner
of,wer because
he bolleved he received an order; h'e did not think fre'naa o"f."q-po, pe"rfr"i"n
(n 160) . Because of existing condiüions, he dirl lci t"rio".itA, corrunohd:lns
officer had any choice brt
i6l.-"ää'äiä"not
!'o execute thä prison"r or*o=-it
considerr at the ttuner_whethor the order to flre was 1ega1'or ilieg*1,
but h;. vtas given an order (n f6rr1. He felt. sorr;r for the prisän"." or war-anä
purpou"fy
missecl him (R 165). Tho witnesses who stäted.he hli t["'priiäner
of **ir'ir.Än-'
he fired the.pistol,
y91a rnistaken (R 166-1?0). He was tät-äta"""d
to tfie u"*
of the exeeution (n t?l).:
(+) Yamanoto stated Noto. ordored 0kuna to conduct the
interrogetion.
01run4was assisted by Ahenonöri.
After ühe interroge"tion,
Of.".o slapped the
Frisonerts face once oi twlce and stated to the onlöokersi frArgronenLä vants
to strike the prisoner of Trc.r cen c1oso.tt He believecl three or four
st;ilkthe prlsonci' of war wlth their ho.nds. He did not strike;h;
ü;;r-;;;;".
Okuaa reported to lfoto on cornpletton of the jnt-errogation.
Wäto, facing OfolÄo
and hi-ur (ramamoto), ordered, itrnko hin in the direc{ion oi the b6ach
*ä oirpo"",
of hin.lt From this
9rder, he felt he was to assist in the execution, t"d;;;r-he.did not know the detalLs ofwhat he was to do. A short uhile efterOluna
r.ade the roporü to ltoto, Okumasaid üo hin, rrltTl"clonrt yoo oi"o-fi""-ifrä--pi.to1?rl
He then knew the p?isonor of rpar r,ras going-to bä shot with the pistol.
Aüout
1:00_P:1.r he 9o.wtheyl'gv5no1. of w.a.r'beinf taken towerd.the beaöh. He went to
hls bi11eü t 9ot his pistol and,vrent,.to tho oxecution grouncs. The prisoner
wasstanding.Pytheho1e.0krrnc,I\rjihira,and-hewenestandingabäutten
nteters ,from th-c
of,wer.-. ociazawaappro_achedana Jaia; äDo nöt ain q!
ar\ll part of.the lri-spn:r
lodq c.bo19the hipl-; 'beceuse"it.woriJ-ctnot bo,t-oo g,gq.d;;,.:üo"alt
9{f his ncgki ühcreforq fire. at bis'logs,rr' He.!e;clno intention oi'ki11i'g th.".-
':
*':,
?'fräH"lnäil
-H';r;;,llri"ä:l
iill ". .''
-miy-1ln:ve
T"";$i*i#:"3"-ff**:;:ä
' q--- prironcl ot vrryr.i
t|e. gther shot
nii tue priqcnor:of r&;,;;-""*in"o
rrr"ot yoü with-sy.
r..:,i
.s!a1a,in$._prore !i{iog-ar'ne. salii-ägrEngllsh, .r;!ri
-ptgtoll.n
Okuqla
and Ftijftr:.rs'tiroa urG rount eäch. r[" p"ironlr renainedl
-j-.
rto
:3gtTg.. 0dazaüahad the ilri3qn'r of nnr siü in front_äf tfre hole; he vnsred
-r.1.
thafrisoirörrs
nrp
neck ancl his-,qyoio *ith
t'
water, c';ä rrr"*;ä-i;
; loud'voicee
' ,..
Odazawa,111 oxl now:göing tdiehead the prlsoner.tt Hc then beheade.d.
hia, änd
the body feI1 into-the-hol-e (gx C). V{h&l Noio orclered Olmncrand hin to disposs
of tho -prisoner. o{harr-he clicl noi. Lnoy, rvholhcr the prisc,nAr-Jr'**i"är
io-u"-1
executed by a firing squad or sone rrthcr mcthod ond }re -lnen he was to tcke part
in the executioni
He got his pisto] becauso Noto or.tlercd 1ü; and Olnrrncto1ä
htn hp was-to firo his pistol.
Whcn hc vent to gcü his pisüo1, hc lntcnCed to
takd pa.rt in the exccution (n Uf),
fhc highcst ranking- offic6r at the
e:<scution was Ohrnao Olcunaooirld.have stoppecl the firfug"
Odazawasrtggested
shooting the prisoner of r.cr belotr.thc hip. ,Ha thought Okrnra.tolcl hin io tfre
first'
He fired beeause he roccivec'l suchordcrs fron Noto (R 1/-3). okunn said
he thought it woulci bc O.Kr for hin (Yannnoto) also to shoot the pisüol. . When
he saw 0dazawa rrrith his sword, hts intent to kiII c'ieppea.rcd,(R U/r).
It vres
jn a gencral way j.:l the exccuütön.
his intention to assist or participeto
Since he wes taught to obey ord,ers, he cliil nöt consider whcther it re.s iI1ega1
or not to shoot the ilrisoner of r:r (n Llril.
Thc prisonor of sar rerninecl
standing after al1 three shot et hin, and he c',icl not think he ves hit (R l/*6).
He fired beca.useNoto had seicl. to dlspose of the prisoncr, of w.'ar. He got his
pistol because he thought the e:cosution was to be by pistol, and he fi-red bccause
he dtd not lqant to return fYon the execution scenc nllnout öUeying Notots orclers;
therefore, hc fired, einiag at his lcgs (R l-Jrg),
theair"oioliJnffiif;in::3 lH: fi*ä:"'::3"1;";i
l*T"ffi;ull*Tärll3l,
cerry out the execution
.
'
of tho prisonor.n
Ho cll-cinot ntntlon thc nelhocl of
o:ecut.ion, li'hethe.r by plstol,
sivqid, or othcrvrise, nor was he üolC whethor he'was
to use his subordinates to cary out the .exeeution. He askod Okurnanhen end
whera the sxecutj.on was to take pläce. Okuna ansrer:id, rtThe prisoni:;r will tre
executed when the cneny p3-anesbecone searce encl thet wttt be-around. {:00 p,o.
As to the place, ask the CorunandingOfficer of headquqrüers !ector.[
Hc vent to
(p 11 of
l/e
Ociazawa
Case i'tZ.g\
R"rEl'fu'
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
UshLogl, tho Oörroqndlng"Offlcer of heedqr.artqrs tectorl ancl sald, trl was ordered
to execute .the prlsone!.i '.Tlhere'sba1l i{,'bg carried out?t!.'Hö]'answered.r..rrUse.
,'
the area ln tho vlotnlty
of'tho cometeryroh'the farn.tl, I.Io then.ordsred his
senior lEO todplreparo tho holen' .i^round.:!l3O p.m., he ('Ödazawa)repor'ted to. :
Okuns, the holo dps.ready.
Oküma',seldi' rrTake.tho prlsonei. üo'the cepetgry.rr
He (Odazawa) orcleröd hts.N0O to t,ako, tho prlsone4 to the cenetrery, a€ ordorod.
plcked. up hls swoid. @ his. arrival.at
tlic'exeoutHe then went to hfä'Ufqqt'anö
'' '
Hd'
i.on grorrnd, Olmdiesald to,hini; gBohead'hin.'afler tho shots are .fircd"it
gavo-the prisonor of va1 wator,, washed his neck, and saicl tö'hfun, llThls eannot
be helped becautÖ,it ie ryaro I arn gollng to.executc you under ordcrs.lr 0kuna
was fitst
!o fire.;.then'Yar,rarooto firädr .fhe Brisonof of inr ciroppeil to his
}noesi ho went,to tho hole and li;ith öno strcke sf, hlö gvord beheaded him. Tho
('Ex-U)..' Odaao.wa
staüed
prisoner of .wq.r feLL lnto the ho3.q,. He left'linnedlately
'
(R
L74)
he was deok cfflcer;
0larna was his inmedlate euporior'
r lle nevor t old
t
.
.
.
-
Kawacla
he..woukll-lke to behea.dthg:f1ygr (R 1?5).,'ibe f.trs! tine'he lsßerrtF!.,
plstols,w#e"going to trdrgtred.wa6::whenOkrana,tbfO hin.at thö e:recuti.on;.(RLl6\:
it was exüronely.,palnf\r1for ari.executionor:lo fo]lgiv ordori, and it we.swith such a poinful f,ecling thert he bdheridecltho fl.yer." (R 1?ä); Otnipawas the senlo! ,
officei-et the. oxecution, and.,:hsthbüght',:ho*"ä,qO.fundlng. Iielreseivecl his i'f
as to
order,from Olnrnai,,Hc.(Cdezawe)',wdsoiderpdlto:naliq.'e1L the ar:rehgements
"(n
'lle.
f8f).
ths dotalls of .thd exc!öution, qq';hglhäd hls subofdirtates do lt
tneistod that Edribit No. 14 tlei;nqt e corpect'ste.tcnont, o.nd for that reason
he refuscd. to sign it.
ükunrl rciefüiitoly tol{-hlrn, pcrsonal}yri to execute the
iiiisoner. of rfa.r rqfle1 ordi-r; ö.rlthe .connapding .offiöer;1he $id'no!, say wlly th9
' .
prisonor of w.aq vie---s
to bo' e::ebutee: (n f62); hc felt ba.l]J clqut thö orcler; but .
prolqst '(R 183)','Ffiol
tö the-Ehöötlngr-he dlcl not
-wae'not in a.position.to
'eduf,lbi YanqÄgto, firJihirä,
or Olqarla'tb shebt'6cl-ovr the fiips so thet ho.could
nrrri,IHeiook-hilisworg"'ljr?il.Hr1str3lert$"o5
rcrreea
ialt lin
r
$ff:""tU:.u-'*"
ln_*-Tf'?-185). _- ...,...
;
otrlnsdid
lit' -,- , :: ' --:
.
;
.-.--
(6) rtr".prosocutionEtflurn*na thetl in hrsociginel iigfta --. ;-':"* .'-
stated, ttstaff Officcr,Olflrna tssuecl an irlptrrrctlon,"
stdtcnent J,n Jc.panose, Oclazaw-r.
.'io
';r'r'
he's'orcloröd*lhdü tho ;?rl-te+fr o3t
the effcct ttrat trrä cäqgr'rlding'officer
to
me.n
Thls
to.Olnrnra
Noto
lqT bo executed. rThis hdflbecn trcnsnitted.frql
statenentd'icinotappcärinthcEng1iDh.t.rans1ation(ExU)1whichhorefirsed
as t!0ileacvrarl
tq sign -(a t92t'-- It'-wes agi.ecc. th;t tho'iorson nanocl in f,he;'chglge.
'-ls
tro',aäalvatt
vrho signeä sxhibtt E'(R'1?4-).
thä ,ro""- pu"-"or es
!
{'lL.
. .
Oplnlon:
:
. . . 4 j 3 E 9 a t r j g ' 4 j e ' 4 c q g s e 9 ' T h c r e a r e s o n e v c . r i a t l o n s t n t h e t i t lthe
c s accused
cncl in ths evidcncö. Soneiof
of the'aicuscffi-sm:-j.n-Ttrd-Etrilgcs
were, pronoted subsequcnl; to tho tinc d the aL1egec1offenses ancl,have boen
llowever, cLI the eccuscd
forner ancl later'titles.
referred to.both bylfrct
phe,.bharges and
in
nentiondd
those
as
havo boert'aOffnitoty identificd
üho vario.t.ion.ls lr'.rneterial,
only.1
aad
doscriptivc
Th;
tltles,aio
spec{ficationq.'
ulj1"n the rights of tho aebusetl could not possibiy hove.bqen'preJudiccd thercby.
b i @
.
Okuna pleeded guft]t
onlY
not
he
that
oFEviaoäca
5.s bn e.
- -- I
to si:eciflcation
thc bcating of the fr: lscner of kbr dnrlng the
l"J pcri:lttcc1'tha
"critttcct
caüscd, Clrccted and
but th;t he.pgrsonal.ly boai the ilrlsoner of hlar cs $eLL. He
intcrrogqtion,
anC. could havo stopped th9 bea!118,
stotcd [" r,los'i.n cherge og iüe intcr-rogatigl
Yemalgto told'."
had hc wlshed. to äo "ä, butübo thqugh[ neireg occwrcd t9 hint
(l)
utre !..vv-r
gf irar
uu
atl-the
6v
tJI;
9l"qoq?t1:1.
faco''one or'tvo
plsonr:r
o!.+f1
thc
FuJinf:ro.stotäa ne tnougtrt.!re struak
t.tl:
finclngsi
lJ.fi(j I'I-IDOIIUIho nLp
h.i.t thc
tträp tro
Nagphara!na!
and Nagtrrrara
Prlsoncr
no".äo ang
Äawacla
tläos.
iho evtdelrco ib-1e6ially
tq süppoit.the
eufficicni
'Noto;
Thc evtdencc eatabllshes the.t Roar Adniral- Sato, tho/tZl
gpeciar
Nmml Bose Force, orclarödNoto, hts Ohlef gf''
Connandilne'6eirä""]Eih
bf iar cxecuted rrnd däsignatcd Odazawoas the
Si;?i;-tol"f,everinä'giisbnäi
?
"
o
:
(p l-2 of
i?,
' t t
7
#329
,ououona.Cclse
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
.
4
Ä'u"c'lt:l/4
-
o
:::.:sjl, .,:ji:
,i.Fli'r';i--'i'::.::il::
;i:':
.#
-t:,':.,,:
n " t . /
/x,@uW
\ \
e x e c u tl o n e r. N o to p ro te sted tbe or der , wet/\knowins that it was
l l l - e g a l -r p l t vü E rs-o ve rruled
had' no mor är ör r o r c e
U E"!o. H6
- E-feLt*he
s
mq
l
l
e
l
a
p
d
w
a
q
g
g
mpeft9d,lto
do
hlssuper
r or had dir ecte d.
i l l l h g.
to have gdazawa
fAccor{ingly he,transrnltted Satots Order ts .01twnä
i : I : ""! g _ !h " p orLf.so n e r 9 f -r { ar i Noto:hgd not or deied tü; be;{ ine or
T ra r a ! th e lnter logatlon, nor the tar get pr acliee
_ lm
l r fo
n edr
'i cl lögm
itte
u p o n h l m. F rl o r to. the deöapltatton. He was"not^pr esen t
a t t h e b e a ti n g _o r th e . l a rggt pr aöiiöä;- ;;a- ;id"üe"r ,äa' no knowledqe
of elther untl1 some time-Iatär wheq_tiewa.s-öonrrn"ä-in sugamö. H"
was.not present at the öxecution. erder tf,e-"xä"ü[ion.-ä"äö"tiö",
fre"aamittäa
-äio
he had ordered a1l- to maintaln silence conc"rni;Ä-ih;
l f q u esti o n e d , to sta te the pr lsoner of nar naa äted "i- äi;;;;;:
b;i
l n . s 9 - d o i n .g -h e w a s a cti n g p{ "l
sater s or der s. Sato Uäa- cöm m it t" ä* t
no statement trae been obtaj.näd from'rirm prior u- üii-- '
ililld::
c l e a t h a s 31d
to th e n a 1 .t h 9 n laygd.ll the executlon of thä pr tsoner .'
of war. Howevglr
r"il
ttrat
sato
had
oroäräa-trrÄ--äxq-ütrönw a s c o n f i n m e ! ! xlF"
o ! h e 1 . w t t n e s s e s . . N o t o r e a ] . 1 z 1 n g t h a i t i e, h a d
conml-ttedaerime1ndirect1ngokrrmatocarry-;;Isäij'ä-rr.iäsar
o r d g { ; . p l e a d e d _ g u l l ty, h oplng that hts ptea är supä"ior or der ö
wourcl be ecnsidered by the Cornmlssionin mitigatlön of punlshment.
The evt-denceis I-egarly sufficient to lüpporl-{rre itnäing.
(3) gEumg=_{. The evldence ls clear that Olrumadtd
:- untawfut ki- t_ling:of the
9
I 9 9 I - f _ 9of
a y:"
, d i re g !e .a n d pgr m it, the
.
prrsoner
wqg...
ft is undlsputed th-a.t r:rehad reeeiüed an order
' .-'
' fron Noto t9 e*e'e.:r:be
the prisäheruor.ärl-tüä:orää;-;[i"h"r,röiä:
had transnilttgd .t.o.him f.1örys9t.o; pkud'rer-C;-;ä"iäi-ärriöä"-
--
'
:.
lla;El?;tj*ler{i,gt;lF*:':i;j:fi';
ilqil;o{r%ä"*;tiä:;ei5
'-
-üul-rrä
d.q so' He,kne-w't}iö-o_räe'r
iueg luäeäi
iiT";ä-p;l[ rerüdä' to'-.
_--fhe'pleä oJ supert-_or,oraäriäciet rioi.constitu$-;-:l3I-lt1,.
-. _ ...--
-!
:;i;:"fn3u3'1ä;ffi
t l: isärtf
€"t*:
;"8g;*i"f:l+
Etl * ;,',
i_'3ü;3ä"
in th.d rfalawful
$9_Tullhlra_ aie.alr ö.h
k1I1lng of the prä-soner of war. 'ei1 tert'ior.tfiä.-ä*e'"otiänjl"e.""
. w i t h a co mmfr'p u rp o seto far tiilpate
ln the execütiofr . A1l- car r ted
thei191st91.s.withthem..AtHeaäquarterj'wt'iiäir'ääxeöü[iö"was.belng digöussed, Otnipaand Yaräamoto
wärä Uusytftxtne tfrefr
p 1 9 t o r 9; tl i e v se e me dto b e in good snlr
iis aueöaüäe- [ü;t wer e
' Fujlhlr
g o i n g to sh o 'o t th e p ri so n er öf- uaf ,
was not ör der ed to
t h e s c e n e o f th e e xe e u tl o n; he weht along voluntanir y.
Okum a
d i r e c t e d th e fi ri n e q t th e' pr isoner of dr .
Alr thr äe r r r ea j
s o m eh i t i . s ? m 9 m i s s e d ; b l o o ä w e L r e df r o m t h e p r i s o n e r r s b o d y l
Okumastated he was the senlor present and coü1d have stoppäd ttre
and yamanoto firiir!;
he
{l{ing; he had,no_obJectJ.onto iru.ilhtra
dld not. stop the flring because, r'ithe conmandingOffiöer. trä<i
frequentlJ-enc_ouragedshooting öf' pfstol-s for lVärrant officers
and above.tr .\j'.rhen
they had thäir rirt of pistol flrine. Okuma
o r d e r e d Od a za vra
to b e i re a dthe pr iionär är - var ,- *tr iähEö.ar a.
I ! 1 s cl e a r th a t th e th re e who- fiiea- p"r [iöipÄtää- iü hr e- r r iir tne;
the shooting 9! the prlsoner of qar bäfore tirä Uefreadlngwas ln-'
aeeofdaneewith the irlan for the execution. All partlclpated
w i r - i - i ng l y e l th e r a s i rrl n cl pals or aceessor l- es
i ar i alded' or
abetted.. The shootfng teföre the beheadlng rväs
not a neces.sary
step tn carrylng out the orders Okunahad iecelved to execute the
p r l s o n er o f w a r, ^a l th o u g h lt m ay have been suggested by sato. Al-1
T o o F a d va n ta g e -ö f a n o p p o rtunlty to satLsfy tüäfr sadlätic desjr es
t o t o r ü u re t-h e l r yi ctl rn r;a hur 4an.being,by- uslng hln for plsto.l
fne öüraänce rö legatty äufflcient ,
Pr'actlce before the flnäl .ktll.
t o s u p p o rt th e fl n d l n g s.
.
(p-13 of _L?t Odazawa
C a s e# 3 2 9 )
Rtfu-,fu
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
Ä)
pr1sonerofrvartherelsnodoribt.]There.1ssomeev1deneethat
h1sbe1ng9.lgexed-to..dosomay.havebeeninf]-uencedbyh1s
v o l - u n t e e r l ' n g - t gd - os o . ' , H g , d e n l e s . : h eW q sa , w i l t l n g p a r t i c i p a n t ,
and he.,i-nsisted.that, the duty äs$igned'hd-m.,was
an-eitremely painful. ' o n e . , H e s t a t e d h e f e l t b a { f y . a b o u t , t h e o i d e r b u t v r a st n n - o
p o s l t lo n to p ro te st. . T h e evänisipr ecedlng,the tefr eäOfnebelfe
t h e s in ce ri ty o f h l s co n tBntl.ons.:,- Ever ythlngwas r eady for the
beheadlngr,.tho pr.lsoner of.vrar was at ti.re edle oi ttre äri rreUa
p r e p a re d fq p h l s,b u ri a l r 4n{ he stoodlby wlth hls swo} d. Olmm a
that before he'4ecaplta.ted the prlsone;r of war
loId Oda.zavüa
they wanted to do sone p!-stöl 'f1.r1.[Bat,hlm;- OdaZawaconsented
t o t h e b ru ta l :a e ts, a n C ..toLdOkxqato have them shoot the pr lsoner
of waf below the h.ips at th; l-orri'orpart of tthe body, so as'.not to
n a k e th e .b e h e a d i n gd {ffi e uL.t. ; Ther eupon, sever al ,shots,wer e
f l r e d a t th e p rl so n e r ö f war by Ötnr m a,,r üjthlr a, and yamamoto.
Bl o o d w e l l e d t'ro n th e p l l s or ter r s bod- vi ffr e pititul
or isoner of
yaT Bigfrt have been späred !hes,g,llast ,momentsof qruäl torture
h a d Od a za w ase e n .fl t^ to -p r g.lest... The evldence ts legalJ- y sufflc1 e n t t o . s u p p o r t t h e { 1 4 d i r ' ] g s . : . . ' ' . . ' . . - . : . . . . : '
-.
c. T h e a ce u se d,wör eably r epr esented by both Am er lcan
: a n d J a .p a n e seq o q n 9 9 1 . T hey,wgr gifam liiar wlth thetr r lghts.
l l h c y c o o p e ra te d fu l l y l n .thelr dqfpnse. All of the ac.euSed
eldcted to testtfy in theLr ovm.behal-f. -behal:f
All_rue.replven oDport-.
.unity to pr.esEnt.witness'es,.
ln'the.'ir.-'ö'wn
. Tfierei !s'.äo,.
- .evldence ttia.t äny..of th-e.adcused wefe:,lnsanej_or:ötherwise lncömpet'
-_
- -: _
fnsanlty. !ag;no6-Q,piissüe..
' .th=ealle[dd; offenses;.
=
'
-.:
..
- , 'e
--- .
-'-'
;
ttrelco.utriJsstolr
.2-.'t,
*4"'legalr}',eonllrtuiäa,
r-rt"
-^ --.. ----.,4
.
had"Jurtsatc_ttorr-:oi tlleiperlons and,-the öff-dirsjis.
- ' TConn:sslon
h e ' s e n te n ce s:,xre re 'a u thor laed
fcir violations of the laws 5f war
- .
--N.o;'e.rr.ors
-r':.
lnJurlouSLX trf{ecti.ng .the Substäntlal rights of the
- accused wefe eommlttEd during the trial.
The record is 1ega1_ly
sufflcle4rt to suBport the f indings and the sentenges...lrposed!y
- t4e'.
ss.lt-n.' .- .
9:omn1
', '. '
''5
t
..
.
Recornmendat
ions : .
-
ancl charg€s
.'l
,:
----should. be:.approvedo
63 :gullty
.'
i.
'.
of a,Ll spec:i'flcatlon:
..
b:. L1gg.qg}.c trtany petitlons.of
clemency werb sübmitted
to the Reviewtng A'rrthorlty ln' behatf of , a Il af , the . acGused.by
friendg, qnd.iörmer associates of ttre:aecused. In
relativesi
gönera1, they..qtre$s the excellent ct'afacter.,and wholesbme
repulations. of .the isggu.$ed i.n thö past.. They emphaSize the'
pbint that any crlmes whtrch:the aeäused committeä tvere'bbiasioned
-.
b y t h e s t r l c t . a h d ; r n a h d a t o r y i 6 o n i j l l ä n c e ,i v l t h , s u p e r i , o r o r d e r s
r e q u l r e d o f . a l l t 4 ' , t h e . J a p a n O d e ' , r h t l f t a f y ; a r i d ' n a V a , | .S e r v l c e . : T h e
petLt,lons have beön;'caref,ul1y'sxämtned änd. consldeir'äd b}r the r '.'
reylewer.
i (l-) ,- Okurrna, The aceusdd'nrell kned .that'orders had
been isdued, for thFäI6utlon
of the flye" bdfoi.e he:'interrogated
h i m . , . H er e e e l v e d . , . ' n d , o r d e t s t o . . b e a t t h e l p r l s o n e f ' o f r m r . ; y e t a t
sttuek h'in and invfted oühers pr.söni to''"
the 1äterrogatiöii',h*
ptr,esent',and in:chäree whfle thä nrlsonei of
do llkewJ.sd.. 'He'...väs,:
'fäce
and
war wa3 .beaten wl!h,.händ$r ,flstsl..rvocidoh-clubs.äbout ih.e
b.qdy. .$fter the lntef,rogglioh Wh-efihe took-the prl,sone.r of .upr
. , . i : , . . .. . . . ,
,',
,-,
..n,i
:,:- .
t.:., .
. r . . . : - . . ' l -l "
(p 14 of ,,,i.,fr'iOdaaa.Ta.
'J-,t Casö #329)
,;r' -.*
r.
,1,üü/:/Ur'4.
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
o
a,:;i':
'-a
;
^'klrtr'ffi
out to be executed, he further displ-ayed his flendlsh nature by
personally flrlng
llve ammunitlon at hlm and permitting and dlrectlng others to llkewlse torture htn.
Then he ordered the decap:The Commlssion senteneed the accuSed to death by hanging.
ltatlon.
Whereas capltal punlshrnent might well be justifled
for thä freinoui
crLmes the accused eommltted, it ls believed that as a matter of
policy, it should be reserved for those conrnanders who at the tlme
of taking the life of anothor are in a posltion to eiereise their
power gf comqqnd.lndependentl-y of any cbmpulsion from higher
(oplnion'colonel
authority.
shaw cited. in us vs. Nakamuia et al-).
fn the lnstant case the accused wa$ ordered to exeeute the
prisoner of war by his superior officer.
He had no moral choiee
but to obey. For tlfls reason, l-t lg recommendedthat the death
se4tence be commuted to conf lnement at hard lahor f or l-ife.
(2) Xanarnoto .and tr\rilhii.a.
These aceused partioipater
ln the beatlng of the prlsoner of rvar-EE the lnterrogatiön.
Laler
they. lt'elg gageT. participalts
ln the kllllng
of the pitsoner of
_far by firing_ their plstol.s at him before the decapitatlon.
H o w e v g T , . - n e 1 ! f r e ql r r q Ei n q l r e l g e g f , t h e l n t e r r o s a t i-Ey"0kümdT"tne
on^or
the
executlön.
They were cncCüräged-to--pailiiöif,ätö
officer ln charge. Their culpabllity
ls not as gieat as'that of
9ltumar but nevertheless justice denands they be ievereS-y punlshed.
The cörunlsslon sentenced-each of these aicuied to confläement
at hard labor for life.
It is belleüed a -sented_ceof ',tlenty
:fears each is radequate punlshment.for the critne-s they-:commiised. ,
q n d i t l s . r e c o r n m e n d e dt h a t . t h e l r
Sentences be reduced. acöorAingly:
:''
"
.:r-;
l.i
.
':
(3)
.-OdazatgB--'
Thlg.a-cc.rgje{.wqs- ordered to decap-.. ..q.e.had nornoräl: o'toicb tüt.;!o
ttate the flyel.
o}"y.
He.t'el-t' r
?id bad $o öomply vii{,n frts oföe'r3. Howevel'r'n}s apparenr consent'' .-'.:.i - !
to änd'öricourageqpef,p! _thd-barbql.ous-aetslcommittöd by-'hi3
'
assoclates upoä' ffre'.rr'efpleBs vict-in whose rire he- was äUoft to
snuff out, dlsclose a inallgnant natute.
Itrls cul-pability
fs'not- -ol.
qs gleat as that of -t*rosc"who actually clid the flring.
The
Comrnisslon sentenced the aceus_edto cänfinement at fräraJabor
for life.
It is-tolieved that'arscntcnce of ton years_ft {deguate
pufiishment Sor thb erime he commltted,' f na4d
1 a ö cit''is-'fecomriendddthät
ordance
the sentence'be redueed accordingl-y.
with the
established, poliey, owing to the lengtii of tlme the accused has
spent ln confinement pllot 'to date of sentenee, it 1s recommended
that two and one:-half'(2-+) months of tho senterice be remltted.
I
I
(4) Noto.. There was no nallciousness on the part
of thls accused. He was the Chief of Staff of Admiral Sato, and
transmltted the latterrs
order for the execution to Okuma. He
knew the oi"der was'i11egal; he objected theretol he was overruLed,
He hail no moral choice but to transmlt the ordei.
The accused
was prevlously trled by an Australian Commissionand convicted
of a simllar offense conmitted at the sane place. For the
offense of whlch the accused was convicted in the instant casct
he shoul-d be punl.shed. However, it is not believed any good purpose wlll- be served by lmposing addltlonal ccnfinement. It 1s
recommendedthat the sentence be reduced to five years, and the
unserved portlon of confinement at hard labor be remitted.
d.. The defense filed a rnotlon for modiflcation of the
sentenees ln behalf of each of the aecused. The motion has been
c a r e f u l l y c o n s i d e r e d , . f t i s r e e o m m e n d e dt h a t , e x e e p t a s a b o v e
indleated, .the notLon be. denied.
(p 15 of
L7 t Odazawa Cese #329)
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
';)
;' /*
t
11/4/'ta{
6 . A c t L o n ; Attached' here.tg'e,rq i'9rns of aetlon deslgned to
carry lnto effect the above recprimehdatlons.
'
: '
' t
'
I
A s s t t . S t a f f Judge Advöpate
foLlowing'
gene?al- remar,lis r.s.]+ould.be n6t'ed:i
:
'.
'r': : '
.
were..not eager vol-unteers,.'The so:called orders in this ease aetualLy were nothing more:thgn lncldental authorlzatlons.
?he
evidence 1n the case .cleAfll;.,qe1c19qteS:the seene surrounding .and
?.tlendlng thls tragic cainfval."" The word. was passed b.y lrloto .the
Ghief of staff (_o tyIQ"atlpuch gvents as'evidänced by'a prevlbus
trial
f o r a s l m i l a r o f f e n s g ' ) : t h ? ! ! , h . u ' f f y e r w a S _t o b e - k i l i e d . .
,
.
olg4pgslpred t-4e,kirrln*;. nu"fin*rne"thäs6;of vfädtetlve inrha- .
tasE"a'iör
to ueffie
-'
-'
fl-ye'r pie-deatrr;r Hä
vöiurrteeBs to klllthe
':
.. fEBheI
l-dIat a_cle4qyrcy'petitlonl_ +eys-tfrat _tbe deatlr"g.entenee':was
'
j u s t l f l-e
...r
' . ..
-.In ,tb i s' o l l n to4, !{ e- ,r ndör StSn' e0= ongir r s.
_.. ,
:;.3
,:.:.-_,
-.-..;_
' ji"'
i'
.
-o,et
L1F!
Jentihce of tweietf-year-s for'No-to for nartlciüat?on -1n --',.i
--':- ' -i_tle proceedlngöiryn-iöh
resrrr{äo iH trre ffiIing il-prainivinäoäciuate,
to.h1s'eommander
to have the- irisoiier klil€d and .,'1..
i,tglg
' -.ilfe_vollrnteered
*ordered
..
..
O k u r n at o d o 1 t . o H e
silence aftär the war and a faLse*
rstatement that,!he lrlsoner died of di'sease, His aSsergion of
junavaillng p;rot'est:is not conilmlng tn itre-raäe-s.i -tr," faets- in
ievldence. '
of ille sentence 1s recommAndb'd.
{i,piöval
-'--:----.-t'--..
i,
-a:.
' The l-ife
'lenlent.
.
sentences of the three other accused are likewise
''Odazg,Wa
voluntee::ed to behead the prlsoner.
H e u r a s. s o e a g e r
to accompl'lqh the killing
that he calrtiöned the pistoleers whoy.erg prgc-tlcing shootlng' at the- vict.lm ,t"o shoot below the hips so
t h a t a ' f a t a I v r o u n dw o u l d n o t d e p r l v e h i m o f h l s o p p c r t u n i t y . - T h e
argument that his gentenee shouid be redriced or evän tfrat it ts
, q $ e - Q u a t e r, v h e r e s u c h a r g u m e n t a d s e r t s s ' u p e r l o r o r d e r s ; d o e s n o t
flnd support .in the faets": 3he s.o'-calleä- order was a mere lLcense
:
or authorlty to k111.
Approvai of the life sente.nce ls recomrnended.
:
'F"u.iihira..
Superlor ordeirs played:no part in the actlons of
thls particlpant.
H e s h o v r e dh l s m a l l c e b y t b e a t l n g ' t h e b o u n d
victlm.
He asked for and recelved perrnission for p
' Ri setgoal r dpi er dscst i c e '
agaiirst the victimrs body and one sirot went hone.
of
encouragement by ckuma, he rvas gadlstic ahd murderous; The life
s e n t e n c e , t ! c u - g h l r t a d e c u a t e ; . .S h o u l d . b e . a p p r o v e d r . s l n c e , l l . t e a n n o t
'be'incr-eased,
:..
:
(p"16
, t ü / .:'' '
.'0dazawar.Case.
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
'\
i
t;-
,(24ztt lu r/
g1e@.
Hls actlons paralIeled those of Fujlhara.
He was
d that he was practicing and told
a n e a g e r v o l - t t n t e e r , H e a n n o u n c e-He.'qd.vtse'd,,the
others to shoot
the prisonet he wouLd klll- hln.
beloir the knees. It ls dlffleult
to'rinderstand how a sentence less
than the extreme penalty coU!$,have,been adjudged under, faets
s h o w l n g : i u c h a m a L t g n a n t s p . l , r L t a s t 'li ia: ,t o f t h l s m a n , Aip: pIr o v a l o f
t h e l l f e s e n t e n e e l s r e c o m m' ä r i d - e d .
. .
:
'-1,
P ro p _ q sgadl te rn a te a etlons to,:lm plementthese r ecom m endatlons
a r e . a t t a c' h' e d , "
'
ALtAN R. .BROIII.INE
Lt Col
JAGC '
Army'Judge Advocate
a
- -
:. -r
'
a
-:._.
.
* - . -
t
't
:
o-
a
aa
_
(p 17 of
17 t 0dazawa Case #329)
PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/61f3b7/
loEutäol