Asian Studies – Fall 2006

Dr. Christy Story

Analysis of Japan’s war crimes:

Talking points DUE: Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Class Seminar on tribunal: Tuesday &Wednesday, October 17 & 18, 2006

Japan’s imperialist agenda led it first to colonize Korea in 1907 after defeating the Russians. They controlled the government, the educational system and Korea’s commercial and industrial production. In 1931, the Japanese utilized the Mukden Incident to invade Manchuria (renamed Manchukuo) beginning the Sino-Japanese theatre of \WWII. In Korea, Manchuria and later mainland China, Japanese tactics were ferocious (the best known example from the Sino-Japanese war was the Rape of Nanking). After Japan’s surrender in 1945, the victorious powers created a tribunal to punish the aggression of Japan and mete out (as the charter for the tribunal stated, see Yale site below for how to find the charter) “stern justice to all war criminals, including those who have visited cruelties upon our prisoners.” You will research these three areas (Korea, Manchuria, Nanking) of Japanese aggression and examine the tribunal’s role as international court of justice. What are the human rights at the heart of these cases and what were the Japanese crimes? How do you view the success of the tribunal in addressing these crimes or violations?

You will be researching the history behind Japan’s imperial drive in Korea, Manchuria and China. There will be a day in the library to assist you with this research: Thursday, October 12, 2006. From your research you need to develop a one- page summary of your “talking points” for the seminar on Japan’s guilt. These talking points need to include

• your notes on historical background (what did Japan do?)
• your definition of human rights and the violations
• a description of the tribunal and its prosecution and then judgment of the Japanese
• an indication of your assessment on the efficacy of the tribunal

Resources:

For a timeline of Japanese armed intervention check out answers.com’s site:

http://www.answers.com/topic/timeline-of-japanese-overseas-armed-actions

For a good introduction to the issue of Japanese atrocities during the war check out the BBC’s site on the Rape of Nanjing:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/223038.stm

Yale University has put several international law documents on line. Check out the charter for the Tokyo Tribunal and see what the crimes it was investigating were:

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imtfech.htm

For a nice timeline of Korean history, checkout the PBS site:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2000/firstpersonplural/historical/choice.html

For a Chinese biased look at the Sino-Japanese war and its interpretation of Japanese war crimes, one site has translated several Chinese documents. This site requires an open mind as it is not only biased it was created to horrify.

http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/njmassac/nmintro.htm