# Why were the Japanese so cruel in World War II? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 22, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034 "2010-12-22T02:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/221 "2010-12-31T02:26:32Z")
> [@Le\_Jacquelope](#): > > You want to first start with Christopher Columbus and the Taino population. I had a look at Wikipedia on the subject. The essay you linked to, incidentally, looks like it may have been written by a high schooler. I wouldn’t put much stock in it. Anyway: > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Despite this massive decline in population, it is safe to say that there simply wasn’t enough of a Spanish military presence to be attributed to the large reduction of native manpower.[39][40] By 1507 their numbers had shrunk to 60,000. Scholars now believe that, among the various contributing factors, epidemic disease was the overwhelming cause of the population decline of the American natives.[41][42][43] The enormous declines that happened to the native populations of the Americas (and Australasia) is tragic. It was also mostly unintentional. White policies often exacerbated the situations but I don’t know of any intentional, direct, government-sponsored democides similar to those of Imperial Japan committed by Europeans against native populations. Possibly Belgium in the Congo? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/222 "2010-12-31T02:28:54Z")
I also noticed in that article one of the cites was Ward Churchill. Definitely not a reliable source. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/223 "2011-01-30T17:23:12Z")
\*"Not to downplay the evil of the Germans at all, but the Japanese never get their due - I consider them to be as evil or more than the Germans, but you almost never hear about it, whereas you’ve heard about the holocaust at least 100,000 times in your life. " \* I believe that the US found many instances of war crimes after gaining control of the Pacific following the Japanese surrender, but did not pursue this because a Nuremberg style tribunal would have involved the international community, whereas the US basically had otherwise been carte blanche over postwar Japan. Specifically, the Japanese apparently had had done some extensive research and experimentation with biowarfare, and had we had prosecuted those responsible for it, we would have had share to share all of the information we uncovered with Stalin, and by then I think we had seen the writing on the wall regarding the future of US-Soviet relations. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/224 "2011-01-30T18:06:11Z")
The Germans had extensive information on, for instance, rocketry. Not only did we not share that with Stalin after we strung up a few Nazis, we spirited away the best Nazi scientists to work on our own projects. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/225 "2011-01-30T18:27:40Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Even though Japan has changed so much from the WWII era, I’ve spoken with many Japanese who still hate the culture and it’s disregard for individuality and rights. The past 20 years seem to finally be making a difference there, but the memories linger on for many. Non-ethnic Japanese still face discrimination. Some still expect women to be subservient to men (one of my clients was a company owned by a Japanese man, he expected Japanese female engineers to stop their work to serve tea). The Japanese still only haltingly admit to their actions during WWII, and always whitewash the history. If this represents 65 years of change, I don’t find the brutality then all that surprising. All nations whitewash their sins throughout history. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/226 "2011-01-30T20:10:47Z")
> [@skdo23](#): > > I believe that the US found many instances of war crimes after gaining control of the Pacific following the Japanese surrender, but did not pursue this because a Nuremberg style tribunal would have involved the international community, whereas the US basically had otherwise been carte blanche over postwar Japan. Specifically, the Japanese apparently had had done some extensive research and experimentation with biowarfare, and had we had prosecuted those responsible for it, we would have had share to share all of the information we uncovered with Stalin, and by then I think we had seen the writing on the wall regarding the future of US-Soviet relations. Those involved in Unit 731 got immunity in exchange for thier data, but there were far _ **more** _ Japanese war crimes trials than German ones. The [International Military Tribunal for the Far East](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Military_Tribunal_for_the_Far_East) > [@](#): > > also known as the Tokyo Trials, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal or simply as the Tribunal, was convened on May 5, 1946 to try the leaders of the Empire of Japan for three types of crimes: “Class A” crimes were reserved for those who participated in a joint conspiracy to start and wage war, and were brought against those in the highest decision-making bodies; “Class B” crimes were reserved for those who committed “conventional” atrocities or crimes against humanity; “Class C” crimes were reserved for those in “the planning, ordering, authorization, or failure to prevent such transgressions at higher levels in the command structure.” > > The Tokyo trials were not the only forum for the punishment of Japanese war criminals, merely the most visible. In fact, the Asian countries victimized by the Japanese war machine tried far more Japanese—an estimated five thousand, executing as many as 900 and sentencing more than half to life in prison. > > Twenty-eight Japanese military and political leaders were charged with Class A crimes, and more than 5,700 Japanese nationals were charged with Class B and C crimes, mostly entailing prisoner abuse. China held 13 tribunals of its own, resulting in 504 convictions and 149 executions. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/227 "2011-01-30T22:12:11Z")
So what WOULD happen if you removed someone’s stomach and then attached their esophabus to to their intestines? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/228 "2011-01-30T23:02:09Z")
What point of human anatomy, exactly, is unclear to you here? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/229 "2011-01-30T23:19:02Z")
The “mechanism of death” part. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/230 "2011-01-31T01:36:24Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > What point of human anatomy, exactly, is unclear to you here? WTF??? I’m asking how it would affect said person? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/231 "2011-01-31T01:40:53Z")
Yes, that’s quite clear. Evidently less clear is that I’m asking you what part of human anatomy is confusing you. Do you understand the role of the stomach in digestion? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/232 "2011-01-31T02:41:33Z")
Oh just forget it already. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/233 "2011-01-31T04:21:27Z")
Well maybe more a of GQ thread, but it’s honest question. I remember seeing a story about some guy who had exactly that happen. Had stomach cancer or something and they had to remove it. Basically he had to eat every 15 minutes or so since he didn’t have a stomach to store larger meals for digestion. Here’s the wiki article on [Gastrectomy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrectomy). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/234 "2011-01-31T05:20:11Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/235 "2011-01-31T12:14:03Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > All nations whitewash their sins throughout history. Not Germany post-WWII. To this day in Germany, it’s hard to flip channels at night without coming across WWII documentaries, talk shows in which the Nazis are discussed, or movies dealing with the era. There are memorials to the murdered in every city and town. The history is taught in excruciating detail in school. The consensus is: we suck. We sucked then and we shall forever more suck because of what happened and how we allowed it to happen. Germany’s actions in WWII were appalling, but wow, have the Germans not let themselves off the hook for it ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/236 "2011-01-31T16:49:06Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > All nations whitewash their sins throughout history. I think that’s the thing. We have acknowledged our original sin of slavery and then segregation. South Africa has acknowledged its history of apartheid. Germany is ashamed by its Nazi history. Japan worships its war criminals in a shrine. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/237 "2011-01-31T17:55:48Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > I think that’s the thing. We have acknowledged our original sin of slavery and then segregation. South Africa has acknowledged its history of apartheid. Germany is ashamed by its Nazi history. > > Japan worships its war criminals in a shrine. Twenty-odd notable foreign dignitaries have visited Yasukuni Shrine since WWII, including from China, Vietnam, the Dalai Lama, the UK, Italy, etc etc. Do you think these visitors were worshiping war criminals enshrined there during their visit? ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/238 "2011-01-31T18:07:56Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > I think that’s the thing. We have acknowledged our original sin of slavery and then segregation. South Africa has acknowledged its history of apartheid. Germany is ashamed by its Nazi history. > > Japan worships its war criminals in a shrine. And nobody outside the US doubts that Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were warcrimes… ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/239 "2011-01-31T18:14:01Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Japan worships its war criminals in a shrine. No, it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034/240 "2011-01-31T19:00:32Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > No, it doesn’t. Apparently there is a controversy on that. > [@](#): > > The shrine enshrines and, according to Shinto beliefs, provides a permanent residence for the spirits of those who have fought on behalf of the emperor, regardless of whether they died in combat. 1,068 of the enshrined kami were POWs convicted of some level of war crime after World War II. Enshrinement typically carries absolution of earthly deeds even for those convicted at the IMTFE court. > > One of the criteria for enshrinement at Yasukuni is that a person be listed as having died while on duty (including death from illness or disease) in the war dead registry of the Japanese government. According to documents released on 28 March 2007 by the National Diet Library of Japan, Health and Welfare Ministry officials and Yasukuni representatives agreed during a meeting, on 31 January 1969, that Class-A war criminals judged at the Tokyo Trial were “able to be honored” as decided by the Shrine Priests and decided not to make public the idea that Yasukuni would enshrine those that were IMTFE criminals.[8] > > On 17 October 1978, 14 Class A war criminals (convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East), including Hideki Tojo, were enshrined as “Martyrs of Shōwa” (昭和殉難者 Shōwa junnansha), ostensibly because they were on the war dead registry. > > SOURCE: [Controversies surrounding Yasukuni Shrine - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_surrounding_Yasukuni_Shrine#War_criminals) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-japanese-so-cruel-in-world-war-ii/565034.md?page=13)