History

Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia

Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia

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  • Create Date：2023-12-29 13:21:46
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Gary J. Bass
  • ISBN：B0CHFVXFKL
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Reviews

Emmanuel Gustin ，

This is a detailed account of the trial that was held in Tokyo after the end of World War II to assess the guilt of "Class A" suspects。 That is， those who were not only accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity， but also of starting wars of aggression （read: of conquest）， and of conspiring in a plan to wage such wars。 Bass gives us a long warts-and-all account， which highlights the many weakness of the process。 He clearly sides with those who were of the opinion that neither the Australi This is a detailed account of the trial that was held in Tokyo after the end of World War II to assess the guilt of "Class A" suspects。 That is， those who were not only accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity， but also of starting wars of aggression （read: of conquest）， and of conspiring in a plan to wage such wars。 Bass gives us a long warts-and-all account， which highlights the many weakness of the process。 He clearly sides with those who were of the opinion that neither the Australian chief justice not the American chief prosecutor were sufficiently competent to cope with the enormous responsibilities assigned to them。 He highlights the selective assembly of the court， which was dominated by white colonial voices。 China， the Philippines and India were represented on the panel of judges， but Indochina and Indonesia， which had suffered much during the war， were only represented by their colonial overlords。 The Indian judge Pal famously wrote a very lengthy dissent in which he excoriated the trial as riddled with colonial hypocrisy， much to the embarrassment of the government of the newly independent India， which did not agree。 Last but not least， the jurisdiction and legitimacy of the tribunal was founded very much on a charter issued by the occupying forces， and the US Supreme Court found it necessary to state that as far as it was concerned， the international tribunal was purely a tool of executive power。 Several judges cast around for something better， be it "natural law" or treaty precedents， without much success。 The Tokyo trial followed the Neurenberg precedent of declaring it criminal to wage a war of aggression。 As Bass documents， this too entered new legal territory， and several of the judges were of the opinion that the defendants could not be held criminally responsible for this， as there had been no internationally accepted law in 1937 or 1941 explicitly forbidding it。 Even trickier was the accusation of conspiracy。 Bass doesn't discuss this in any detail， but Japanese government in the 1940s by and large operated by the careful and laborious negotiation of consensus between the different factions， before the agreement was formalised as a government decision。 It was essential to the way this government functioned， so was it fair to call this a conspiracy？ （Bizarrely， as Eri Hotta has shown in her work on 1941， this flawed decision process generated a consensus for war in spite of the private opposition of many， perhaps most， of the key decision makers。） Despite these fundamental weaknesses， the trial as described by Bass could be described as largely fair。 The author clearly is of the opinion that the civilian ministers Togo and Kaya were found only guilty by association， bearing the collective responsibility of the cabinets they had been part of， despite being personally opposed to the war。 Most of the military men plainly enough were responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated under their command， and their protests of ignorance were unconvincing。 Several of them also blatantly wanted to use the narrow window of opportunity in 1941-1943 to create an empire in the Pacific and South-East Asia。 They deserved their condemnation， and the judges acted with commendable independence。 One of the biggest controversies surrounding the trial was caused by the decision， a largely US decision， to keep the emperor Hirohito out of it。 This was politically expedient but how people perceived it depended a lot on their acceptance of Hirohito as a constitutional monarch。 I am skeptic of the way in which Bass treats every ritual statement of obeisance to the emperor that the civilian and military leaders made， as a gotcha。 There is a world of difference between words of pious reverence spoken about a living deity， and practical politics。 Reality， as far as my reading suggests， is that Hirohito was conservative and nationalist by instinct as the product of his upbringing and his role， but not an effective leader。 He tended to give his blessing to the consensus or to the already established facts on the ground， and in this he followed precedent。 It was tragic that at a crucial time Japan had a weak head of state， but such are the risks of hereditary monarchy。 （Hirohito's father had been entirely incapable of handling government responsibility。）There are some other flaws in the narrative of Bass。 For example， he takes the Japanese leaders to the task for treating the Vichy government as the legitimate government of France in 1941， but forgets that the USA did exactly the same。 More worryingly， Bass repeatedly condemns Kido Koichi for recommending the appointment of the "belligerent" Tojo Hideki as prime minister in late 1941， but at the time Tojo was actually urging Kido to try to find a way to reverse an earlier decision to go to war。 Kido was probably naive， but not entirely reckless is recommending this appointment， as there was a real possibility that Tojo could steer the Army away from war。 The general was at best ambivalent and at worst two-faced about war， perhaps mainly because as a staff officer he was acutely aware that Japan would face impossible odds。 So it seems harsh， with hindsight， to condemn Tojo outright as an aggressive warmonger。 That said， as army minister as well as prime minister， Tojo was clearly directly responsible for the horrendous treatment of prisoners of war。 He used a cultural excuse， declaring that Japanese soldiers found it shameful to be capture and thus regarded prisoners as without honour。 But he conveniently omitted to mention that he himself was responsible for promulgating this standard in 1941。 As recently as the Russo-Japanese war of 1905， the Japanese military had been praised for its humane treatment of prisoners of war。 The enormous suffering of prisoners， enslaved workers， and civilians was the result of an executive choice and not of some frozen cultural characteristic。 Having recounted all of this background， Bass extends his story by describing how the Tokyo trial has remained controversial， in Japan and in the rest of Asia。 Its memory has become a political tool to be used and abused in internal and foreign policy。 The author describes how the lives of the Indian and Chinese judges were deeply affected by this; in very different ways the decisions they had made determined the rest of their lives。 These are moving sections of the book， flavoured with personal recollections of their descendants。 The Indian judge Pal enjoyed the life of a celebrity， but the Chinese judge Mei suffered enormously because of his role in the trial。 Overall， a very good history， but with a fair number of imperfections。 If you went to read it， I'd recommend to go for the electronic version if you can， as the paper version really is inconveniently thick！ 。。。more

Mark Kagan ，

H/t Boris

Holden Fitzgerald ，

In depth， well written， fascinating account of the Tokyo war crimes trial。 We hear a lot about Nuremberg but not Tokyo and this book really explains why。 A trial that looked quite a lot like victor’s justice plagued with racism and hypocrisy - particularly in the wake of Hiroshima and Nagasaki。

Cheyne ，

If you want a book on how awful the United States was during World War II， how racist and war criminal its leaders were， and unfair the treatment of Japan was then this is the book for you

Neil ，

Maybe my favorite book of 2023。 A wonderful popular history of a controversial aspect of the post-WWII era， meticulously researched and very well told。 Bass does an excellent job of following the impact of the Tokyo war crimes trial through to today's Asian Pacific relationships。 Important and recommended。 Maybe my favorite book of 2023。 A wonderful popular history of a controversial aspect of the post-WWII era， meticulously researched and very well told。 Bass does an excellent job of following the impact of the Tokyo war crimes trial through to today's Asian Pacific relationships。 Important and recommended。 。。。more

Kay ，

I will admit it took me a while to read this book， it is not a quick read， but I did read all 692 （plus end notes） pages and I learned so much。 It is an extremely well-researched and comprehensive account of the Tokyo Trial of the Japanese government and military leaders of WWII。 This years long trial may not be as well-known as the Nuremberg Trials for the Nazi leaders， but it was as important。 The ramifications of the trial still have bearing on political actions & feelings today。 I read a lot I will admit it took me a while to read this book， it is not a quick read， but I did read all 692 （plus end notes） pages and I learned so much。 It is an extremely well-researched and comprehensive account of the Tokyo Trial of the Japanese government and military leaders of WWII。 This years long trial may not be as well-known as the Nuremberg Trials for the Nazi leaders， but it was as important。 The ramifications of the trial still have bearing on political actions & feelings today。 I read a lot of nonfiction books concerning WWII and I must admit this is one of the most exhaustive accounts of a specific “battle” I have ever read。 I use the word battle because it was a hard fought two years involving all participants of the war in the Pacific theater as the world continued to recover， change and heal from the atrocities， abuses and destruction suffered by so many people & nations。 The hope that the trial would bring healing & justice was not easy nor complete。 If you are a reader who needs details & all the facts in one volume – then you will find them this book。 Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy。 It was a challenge but well worth it。 。。。more

Ted Mccormack ，

A very detailed history of the war crimes of Japan's major civilian and military leaders during WWII。 The entire proceeding generated much controversy during the trial and after into the 21st Century。 A very detailed history of the war crimes of Japan's major civilian and military leaders during WWII。 The entire proceeding generated much controversy during the trial and after into the 21st Century。 。。。more

Harlan Strader ，

Excellent， but mind numbing detail。 While interesting and complete a bit of a slog to get through。

Erika ，

Fascinating， comprehensive， and a faster read than you would expect for its length。 My only criticism was the number of times things got repeated。

Gary Schroeder ，

Most people are familiar with the Nuremberg trials and the importance they had in establishing the notion that there could be such a thing as a standard for international justice and the holding to account of war criminals。 Far fewer are familiar with the equivalent trial held for the leaders of Japan following their surrender。 I picked this up solely for that reason （and because I had just come back from a trip to Japan and had some deep questions about thew origins of the Pacific war）。 This is Most people are familiar with the Nuremberg trials and the importance they had in establishing the notion that there could be such a thing as a standard for international justice and the holding to account of war criminals。 Far fewer are familiar with the equivalent trial held for the leaders of Japan following their surrender。 I picked this up solely for that reason （and because I had just come back from a trip to Japan and had some deep questions about thew origins of the Pacific war）。 This is a solid--if exhaustive--book on the topic。 Beyond covering the trial of Tojo， Emperor Hirohito， and other Japanese leaders of the era， it covers the rarely-addressed question of why Japan would choose to carry out a sneak attack against a country as industrially and militarily powerful as the United States。 Americans are never taught this part of the story and will likely find it very illuminating。。。especially where the actions and foreign policy decisions of their own government leading up to the war are concerned。 Unlike the Nuremberg trials which are seen as the pinnacle of Western jurisprudence， the Tokyo trial fares far worse。 Comprised of judges from all over the world， from very different cultural backgrounds， and who had conflicting views of colonialism （being on both the delivering and receiving end）， consensus was often difficult to achieve。 Judges fought with each other on some of the most basic aspects of the court's function all the way down to the authority upon which the court was convened。 Worse， the Indian judge famously wrote a withering dissent on the final judgement， calling into question virtually everything the court had done， while also calling out the United States for its use of incendiary bombing and nuclear weapons against civilian populations。 （Many American readers will come away with the realization that the war， while clearly just， carries many ethical questions that have never been adequately addressed。） This dissent is still cited today by some Japanese as a justification for throwing out the court's verdicts and a vindication of the actions of their wartime leaders。 While a thorough and fascinating account， it's so thorough that it may be hard for some readers to get through。 Its titanic length is certainly a challenge。 I take one star off only because I felt that many of the same points were made repeatedly， and that the book could have been shortened overall。 。。。more

Dana ，

Phenomenal。

Sara ，

If you're a World War II buff， you're definitely going to want this book on your shelf， both to read and consult。 It's a definitive look at the Tokyo Trial of war criminals。 So， if you have an interest in Japan （as I do） you will also find this interesting。 That said， it's almost 900 pages long so there's a level of commitment here that may not be for the average reader。 It reads well， though， and it doesn't feel at all cumbersome or long-winded; it's necessarily long and the reader will come aw If you're a World War II buff， you're definitely going to want this book on your shelf， both to read and consult。 It's a definitive look at the Tokyo Trial of war criminals。 So， if you have an interest in Japan （as I do） you will also find this interesting。 That said， it's almost 900 pages long so there's a level of commitment here that may not be for the average reader。 It reads well， though， and it doesn't feel at all cumbersome or long-winded; it's necessarily long and the reader will come away with a good sense of this event in history。As a librarian， I'd definitely want this in my collection。 As a reader， I'd definitely give this as a holiday present to a WW2 buff。 It's the perfect book to curl up with and leisurely read through。 As I said， it's a time commitment， but I believe it is one that will pay off for the reader。Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book。 It's a fine piece of writing and research。 。。。more

Brendan Dowd （History Nerds United） ，

Did you ever wonder why the Nuremberg trials are well-known， but the Tokyo Trial is treated like it never happened？ Well， Gary Bass is here to tell you why in Judgment at Tokyo。 In a word， the trial was a mess。 It was a mess for so many reasons including judges who didn't want to be there， lack of documentation because the Japanese were so effective at destroying evidence， and bad lawyering。 It was a complex story which needed someone like Bass to make sense out of it。 While this topic would be Did you ever wonder why the Nuremberg trials are well-known， but the Tokyo Trial is treated like it never happened？ Well， Gary Bass is here to tell you why in Judgment at Tokyo。 In a word， the trial was a mess。 It was a mess for so many reasons including judges who didn't want to be there， lack of documentation because the Japanese were so effective at destroying evidence， and bad lawyering。 It was a complex story which needed someone like Bass to make sense out of it。 While this topic would be interesting no matter who wrote it， Bass puts on a masterclass presenting the material。 He will call out characters when they are clearly lying or in over their head。 He doesn't do it often and I sometimes disagreed with him。 However， his willingness to interject allows the reader to stop processing facts for a moment and ask themselves what they believe。 It makes the book a conversation between the author and a reader。 I don't vote for Pulitzer Prizes （because of course no one asked me to）， but I know this book deserves one。 It needs to be said before you dive in that this is a very long book。 No， that isn't me being squeamish。 Bass says it himself in the preface。 While I often find narratives can be cut down if you really try， I completely agree with Bass that the length is necessary in this case。 There is so much ground to cover and complex characters ranging from dedicated defense lawyers who did not give up on lost causes to a judge who wins my vote as the biggest clown in this whole sordid episode。 Most importantly， Bass answers the big question。 Why don't we know more about the Tokyo Trial？ （This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage， and Anchor Books。） 。。。more

John ，

Comprehensive and exhaustive account of a pivotal moment in history that reshaped the world。 The vast majority of this is absent from US education and I did my best to learn independently。 Upon moving to Japan， I was not surprised to be met with ignorance similar to my own， but was shocked at the prevalence of denialism and revisionism*。 That led to more reading and more discussion with my new peers。 I wish I had this book then！ I’m glad it’s out now， however， as the after-effects， failures， mor Comprehensive and exhaustive account of a pivotal moment in history that reshaped the world。 The vast majority of this is absent from US education and I did my best to learn independently。 Upon moving to Japan， I was not surprised to be met with ignorance similar to my own， but was shocked at the prevalence of denialism and revisionism*。 That led to more reading and more discussion with my new peers。 I wish I had this book then！ I’m glad it’s out now， however， as the after-effects， failures， moral questions， and lessons are as relevant now than ever。 This not a difficult read， but it is long and dense。 I can recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone with an interest。*In my sphere。 Obviously not labeling a whole society as one thing or another， but conservatism is the dominant ideology and alternate history is built into the platform。 。。。more

Kimberly ，

Judgment at Tokyo:。。。 written by Gary J。 Bass is a wonderfully written， thoroughly researched book about a very difficult time in our history。 I knew much less about the Tokyo trial than I did about Nuremburg。 Mr。 Bass has helped to fill that blank spot with a book that will be kept and referred to often。 Does war with Japan come down to lack of oil？ Who has jurisdiction over war criminals？ What about abuse of prisoners？ So many issues to be examined and weighed by eleven judges from various cou Judgment at Tokyo:。。。 written by Gary J。 Bass is a wonderfully written， thoroughly researched book about a very difficult time in our history。 I knew much less about the Tokyo trial than I did about Nuremburg。 Mr。 Bass has helped to fill that blank spot with a book that will be kept and referred to often。 Does war with Japan come down to lack of oil？ Who has jurisdiction over war criminals？ What about abuse of prisoners？ So many issues to be examined and weighed by eleven judges from various countries who often did not agree and seventy five years ago had to come to some consensus as to who would be punished by death and who would live。 If you see the value of history as guidance for the present， please read this book。 It reflects dark issues of a dark time that we would prefer to forget。 （Perhaps at our own peril）。 Did this trial achieve justice？ You decide。 Very highly recommended。My thanks to the author， Gary J。 Bass， and to the publisher， Alfred A。 Knopf， for my copy of this book。 #Goodreads Giveaway 。。。more

Annie ，

What do we do when the war is over？ The treaties and surrenders have been signed。 The prisoners have been returned （hopefully）。 The armies have been demobbed。 But the trauma remains， especially after wars as horrific as World War II。 So many millions died that it seems wrong to just allow the surviving leaders of the German， Italian， and Japanese governments to live out their lives in peace， especially when the violence committed by Nazi and Imperial Japanese forces went well beyond the battlefi What do we do when the war is over？ The treaties and surrenders have been signed。 The prisoners have been returned （hopefully）。 The armies have been demobbed。 But the trauma remains， especially after wars as horrific as World War II。 So many millions died that it seems wrong to just allow the surviving leaders of the German， Italian， and Japanese governments to live out their lives in peace， especially when the violence committed by Nazi and Imperial Japanese forces went well beyond the battlefield。 After World War I， the victors relied on reparations， forced demilitarization， and treaties to ensure peace。 After World War II， the victors turned to international law to hold （at least some） of their former enemies responsible。 In Europe， Nazis were tried and sentenced at the Nuremberg Tribunals。 In Asia， the International Military Tribunal for the Far East， held in Tokyo， attempted to do the same to leaders of the former Japanese Empire。 In Judgment at Tokyo， Gary J。 Bass uses archival materials—letters， diaries， newspapers， testimonies， and court documents—to examine the thorny legal issues， judicial backbiting， realpolitik， and more to tell the story of the long fight to administer some kind of justice after long years of war。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more

Glenn Stenquist ，

Great history

Dylan Simon ，

This was a great chronicle of the Postwar environment in the Pacific Theater。 Bass does a great job of detailing the events at the trials in Japan after the war and it is a valuable read。 I would highly recommend this to fellow World War 2 buffs。