Original subtitles

Since World War I, devastation caused by aerial bombing

has been acknowledged.

Jurists from major countries met in the Hague in 1923.

They reached an agreement.

"Bombardment is legitimate only on military targets.

Terrorizing civilians is prohibited."

These limitations have not been observed.

On April 26, 1937, the Spanish town of Guernica

was destroyed by the Luftwaffe.

In July of 1937,

the Japanese Air Force

indiscriminately bombed

the Chinese cities of Nanjing, Hankou and Chongging.

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland

and World War II began.

On September 18

Pres. Roosevelt appealed to all belligerent nations.

"It is my earnest hope

that bombing of civilians will not take place."

But it did no good.

German aerial bombardment of London began in 1940.

Britain's Royal Air Force bombed German cities in reprisal.

In December 1941

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The War in the Pacific began.

In January 1945, Curtis LeMay took command in Saipan.

He ordered the firebombing of Japan.

Incendiary bombs were dropped

at night, from February 19, 1945.

On March 10

334 B-29s attacked Tokyo.

Maj. Gen. LeMay ordered them

"to bomb everything."

In one night, downtown Tokyo was burnt to the ground.

100,000 people were killed.

Nagoya was bombed 38 times.

The incendiary bombing of May 14 took the heaviest toll of life.

486 B-29s released 2563 tons of bombs

destroying 80% of northern Nagoya.

During those air-raids

some U.S. aircrew parachuted from their planes and were captured.

"Those guilty of bombardment

can hardly expect mercy themselves."

This was the conviction of the people of Nagoya

and of the Japanese soldiers who executed them by decapitation.

"On August 15, 1945 the war ended."

Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived at Atsugi Airbase in Japan.

The victors held trials

for B- and C-Class war criminals around Asia.

The trial of A-Class war criminals in Tokyo

had captured the attention of the press and the public.

"TOKYO SUGAMO PRISON"

Lt. Gen. Tasuku Okada, Commander of the Tokai Army

has been awaiting trial in prison for 18 months.

He recorded these words.

"Why should the losing side

be held solely responsible for crimes committed?

Those who abandon the samurai spirit

and think solely of their own survival

fill me with an intense grief."

Lt. Gen. Okada viewed his trial as a "legal battle"

to prove America's criminality in indiscriminate bombing.

BEST WISHES FOR TOMORROW

The Yokohama Courthouse was the site of trials

for crimes committed on Japanese soil.

The trial of Tasuku Okada

and his subordinates began on March 8, 1948.

"Witness for the Prosecution Lt. Gen. Sugita"

No, I do not.

They should have received a fair trial.

I would say it is.

If the person dies, it's murder.

No.

No.

"Witness for the Prosecution Staff Sgt. Aihara"

Yes.

I saw them being executed.

Three.

By the Accounting Building in the garden.

Lt. Narita.

It's him.

Of the 20 accused, 15 had carried out the beheadings.

"Witness for the Prosecution Maj. Gen. Muto"

I did.

I... I don't recall the details but...

we found that of 38 aircrew, 27 were executed in violation of military law.

Military tribunals must have elaborate procedures.

Abridged procedures were ordered.

27 fliers were executed

under those shortened procedures.

I wrote that despite the emergency at the time

the accused should be considered a murder suspect.

No.

Not yet.

I don't know.

I guessed that Okada would face a trial.

We were unsure if it would be handled by the Allied Powers

or by ourselves.

"Witness for the Defense Kazuko Moribe"

On July 15, the train was attacked from the air

at about 1:15 in the afternoon.

Machine-gun fire

through the windows and ceiling.

10 people died.

15 of them, yes.

The dead and wounded were carried off the train.

I was slightly injured and confused.

I can't be sure of the exact number.

Return to the stand.

Yes.

Yes.

A single star...

under the wing.

Under the wing.

A conductor and a friend were there. We all saw the American planes.

We knew it was dangerous.

When the planes started shooting...

the conductor and my friend were instantly killed.

I was alone.

When I said there were 10 dead...

one was my friend.

I felt great anxiety that my husband

was being defended by an American.

And yet, I was amazed by Dr. Featherstone's dignified defense.

"Witness for the Defense Hidezane Machida"

No, none.

Airplane production requires precision.

Every part must fit perfectly.

The home industries weren't up to it.

They couldn't produce the parts we needed.

"Witness for the Defense Aiko Mizutani"

We look after abandoned children.

Some of them are orphans.

We have new-born babies and children up to 15 years old.

Twice. On March 17 and June 5.

Yes.

It was March 17.

The air raid siren sounded at about 11 pm.

The hospital was in flames.

We thought it would be a long raid.

My husband and I took the children to a nearby hill.

A flare bomb dropped...

and suddenly it was as bright as day.

Then we took refuge in the dormitory.

But the fire bombs kept coming...

falling on the dormitory.

We all rushed out.

Five children were sleeping

in the dormitory.

I tried to enter it again...

but a guard stopped me.

"Don't go in there!" he yelled.

But the children were in the burning building.

We were totally helpless.

A little girl by the entrance was screaming for her mother.

"Mummy! Mummy!" she cried.

I couldn't leave her there.

I carried her away.

We took 50 children

to the river, below a bridge.

There was a huge crowd there.

We managed somehow to get the children below there.

But again fire bombs started dropping

and we couldn't put out the fires.

Some mothers...

and children...

were burnt to death.

No, none.

What's wrong?

I'm scared of going to court.

I saw the American fliers

tremble and shake.

They bombed us!

They killed women and children!

The sword came down on a guy.

But, one time didn't kill him.

The sword came chopping down again and again.

He screamed like a baby.

He looked up at me.

Those eyes follow me

into the courtroom.

I gave the order.

Responsibility lies with me.

Don't worry.

If only there were a medicine to give me courage.

Cowardice is incurable. I'm scared!

Fear will destroy you!

Don't look for medicine.

A young body must be robust.

Sitting Zen will get you through it.

Let's pray to the Buddha.

The trial of the Ishigaki Guards

had ended at about this time.

The guards had executed 3 Americans

by stabbing them to death.

Of the 45 guards on trial, 41 were sentenced to death by hanging.

Tasuku Okada, take the stand.

You are still under oath.

I know.

It existed to judge those suspected of serious war crimes.

Given our circumstances

this was the case.

The Tokai Army came into existence in February, 1945.

It grew under intense bombardment

and was annihilated 6 months later.

As commanding officer

I had to observe the battlefield from all angles.

I resolved to fight to the end.

Japan's fate was in our hands.

The entire Tokai Army felt this way.

We were no match

for the American Air Force.

We could barely plan for the next day.

Due to our daily situation

it was impossible to rely on orders from Tokyo.

Dr. Featherstone asked Okada

about the indiscriminate bombing.

Carpet bombing, night raids

incendiary bombs and methods of bombing

were criticized by Lt. Gen. Okada.

First, an area was bombed incessantly, and set on fire.

People could not escape.

Bombs were dropped to prevent people from putting out fires.

The massacre was unimaginable.

Hands and feet dangled from wires.

Corpses were thrown onto rooftops.

The ensuing firestorm annihilated everything in its path.

It is a picture of hell.

In actual fact, those fliers

had bombed indiscriminately

and their actions were unlawful.

Countless lives were destroyed.

I call upon you to imagine this.

We treated the fliers not as POWs

but as war criminals.

Judging by the bombing, we believed we were right.

The Muto Report was prepared

to investigate the Tokai Army.

Newspapers were exposing executions

that took place during the war.

The Muto Report is untrustworthy.

As soon as the war ended

judicial affairs officers got scared that they would be held responsible.

They tried to avoid guilt by investigating us.

In January and February of 1946 my men and I were investigated.

I wanted everything out in the open.

But, Maj. Gen. Tani

was eager to avoid all responsibility.

Muto's second questioning

was scheduled for February 11.

That morning, Maj. Gen. Tani killed himself.

I rushed to the room

where his body was at rest.

There was no will.

There was no note in his pocket.

His family had no idea why he killed himself.

I don't know why.

One reason might be that Muto

was below him in rank.

Tani shared responsibility for the executions.

But he had written...

"I didn't know the fliers were tried in shortened procedures.

It was all done by officers and staff."

This false testimony complicated the work of the Commission.

I don't recall the exact date.

But I believe it was June 17, 1945.

We were bombed that evening.

I asked Maj. Gen. Tani if there was a way to simplify

military tribunal procedures.

He doubted if procedures could be abridged.

He said that staff officers could question the aircrew

and it would be legal if the law's spirit was observed.

June 20, I think.

Onishi came in with Tani.

I told them it was impossible to hold a proper tribunal.

I decided to use abridged procedures.

I told them to study new procedures to fit our circumstances.

Okada's main wish in the trial

was to save his young subordinates.

Tighten your belly.

Yes.

Roughly.

Tani gave his report.

He said he would use abridged procedures.

Fliers who bombed military targets would go to a POW camp.

Those suspected of indiscriminate bombing

would be given full trials.

Those clearly involved in bombing would be given shortened trials.

I called a meeting to put this into practice.

This proposal was along the lines of Tani's opinion.

As head of the tribunal

I immediately gave the order.

Yes.

Verbal.

To Onishi.

Yes, I do.

I said that we had no choice but to execute them.

I just remembered.

I said, " Do it immediately."

No. I did not order that.

Death by sword is a dignified samurai ritual.

It's the same as a firing squad

for a soldier.

It is a dignified way to die.

I wish to emphasize this.

The order to use the sword

may have come from subordinates

but it is the same as if I had given it.

It was clear to all that my husband was determined

to assume all responsibility

for the execution of the American fliers.

The difference is in the independence of command.

Orders from superiors take precedence over military procedures.

Responsibility for carrying them out is shared by all.

During intense bombing, verbal orders were common.

No. But commanders are responsible

for everything below them.

All responsibility for whatever was done below me

rests with me as commander.

In the case of the American fliers

responsibility rests with their base commander.

But, the war was ending

and Japan was powerless.

We couldn't put American base commanders on trial.

It's not my concern what they thought.

I judged they had broken the law.

All the men in this courtroom

believed they were right.

Thank you.

Chasing rabbits in the mountains

Fishing for carp in the streams

Hometown of my dreams

Hometown... unforgettable

Mother, Father, are you well

My old friends home and safe?

Rain or shine I think of you

Hometown of my dreams

It's all right.

They definitely saw the results of their bombing.

They dropped leaflets terrorizing people.

They knew it was illegal and a crime.

So they were given death.

Those leaflets depicted indiscriminate bombing

and children searching for parents in the fire.

On them it said, " If you don't want to die, stop the war!"

These were meant not to warn but to terrorize people.

They wanted to weaken our resolve to fight.

No.

But the fliers who bombed us

knew their actions were inhuman.

Regrettably, no.

I've no idea.

I don't think he would have.

This is a difficult question.

An airplane crew is a single body. It doesn't matter

who carried out the bombing.

Our regulations uphold international law.

There's no alternative.

The reason for the punishment was repeated criminal acts.

If you look at the history of this article

only the emperor can commute the death sentence.

Article 5 does not apply to an area army such as ours.

I sensed that the judges

sympathized with the feelings of my husband

who was taking full responsibility for all actions.

Haruko, thank you for being in court every day.

We are not allowed to speak

but I can tell what you think by looking at you.

An exchange of smiles is all I need.

I will win this fight!

The court's judgment is arbitrary.

It is just suiting itself.

"In my Legal Battle"

A person can depend on only one thing...

and that is oneself.

Renouncing ego and living by the truth is the way

to heed the spirit of the Buddha.

That's arbitrary logic.

If housing and commercial areas are hit

then it's clearly indiscriminate.

I was too busy to notice.

Much worse.

I don't know.

I was an area commander.

Big issues are beyond me.

But, the targets of the attack on Pearl Harbor

were strictly ships and aircraft.

That attack was not indiscriminate.

As for my personal opinion...

the rules of air warfare must be changed before it is too late.

Prosecutor Burnett appears amicable at times like these.

Please bear in mind we were under intense bombardment.

We were not required to notify Tokyo of our procedures

though it was recommended.

In spirit, it was a proper court.

With obvious guilt, procedures could be abridged.

Not guilty?

We could have.

I did not.

Yes.

It's a very complicated procedure.

Absolutely.

Definitely not.

Let me make this clear again. Military regulations

are not laws.

They are a factor of strategy deemed suitable by a commander.

To execute a strategy well

decisions must not be altered.

In the cold light of day, your opinion might hold sway.

But amidst that chaos

a full tribunal was not possible.

Please allow me to answer

according to my Buddhist faith.

There are various realms in the heart of man...

Please, I would like to answer in my own way.

According to Buddhist teachings

humans can occupy any one of 10 realms

from Hell at the bottom to Buddhahood on top.

The human heart is ever-changing.

Muto lacked character.

I became tainted by contact with him.

My heart entered the realm of Chaos.

My reactions were produced by anger.

Be that as it may

we needed to put the fliers on trial.

I decided everything.

Onishi just prepared things.

Yes.

No one suggested it.

I heard about it indirectly.

The defense of the law

and the spirit of Japanese military regulations.

Of course I was.

Ideally, I should have.

But, the bombing was relentless.

We were frantic in trying to deal with American attacks.

In no way.

No. It was punishment.

I was.

It was not retaliation. It was punishment.

This negated the positive questions of the judges.

I took suggestions from no one.

It was my own idea, my own action.

May I make a statement?

At the Tokyo War Crimes Trial,

and in these Yokohama trials

for other B- and C-Class war criminals,

defendants were not given a chance to speak about bombing

by American airplanes.

This trial is a generous exception.

Today, looking at our conduct during the war

in a cool, judicial light

we can be criticized fairly.

But, we did the best we could, surviving day to day,

bearing an impossible burden.

I am satisfied with the amazing way

our soldiers defended our country.

I am eternally grateful to this Commission.

My gratitude is like a clear blue sky.

This gratitude is shared by the Japanese in this room.

Soon, all Japanese will hear how magnanimous you have been.

They, too, will be grateful.

This gratitude will form

a spiritual bond, with America as elder brother

and Japan as younger brother

uniting our countries in the future.

The wedding of our son, Akira, took place that day.

It was clear that my husband had decided to die.

We all wanted him to see the newlyweds

and be happy and at peace.

This will be my last appearance in court.

Whatever my own verdict

I wish for my subordinates to be treated with mercy.

Thank you.

I am content.

"Okada's 19 subordinates received sentences from 10 years to life."

Thank you all.

You young people must work for peace

in the new era ahead.

You're all on your own now.

So do the right thing by your conscience.

Goodbye.

We salute our commander!

My husband was at peace

for the first time since the end of the war.

How sweet this wine

Under a radiant moon

Spurred on by the lute player

Riding his horse

Do not laugh at me

Drunk in the desert sand

For ages, there have been soldiers...

Who have not returned from here

Humanity must eradicate war

by whatever means necessary.

But, I am afraid that wars

will be with us forever in this world.

The quest for peace

should be pursued anew

in different ways from the past.

Excuse us.

Glad you're here. Well, not glad.

It's an honor for us.

Sit down.

It's unjust that you've been given the death sentence.

Your sentences will be commuted

so please live in hope.

We will.

Thank you, sir.

But, I don't think things will be resolved

if I ask for a lighter sentence.

I volunteered to execute Americans.

My hands cut off people's heads.

I accept the reality of my verdict.

But what am I...

I who am facing death? I want an answer to this.

That's the spirit to have.

That's the proper path.

Make sure that your spirit and actions always coincide.

Yes, sir.

Don't worry about mum.

Many young men awaiting execution came to learn from him.

He wished to show others the way,

and through ascetic training

approach Buddhahood himself.

Tasuku Okada inspired young people with his faith for 16 months.

Hello.

Hello.

Oh, really?

The time's come.

You've helped us.

I've taught you all I can. There's nothing to worry about now.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Aspire to great things. Devote yourself to them.

I will.

You've been so kind.

Take care now. Live life to the fullest.

It's not right!

No, don't say that.

You stay here, boys.

Sir. We'll be fine.

I hope and dream

I will return to My old hometown

With its beautiful Green mountains

And its crystal clear Rivers and streams

When the sentence was reviewed

one judge recommended

that it be reduced to life in prison.

Four judicial officers with GHQ

called for "death by firing squad" instead of hanging.

This is an honor equivalent to death in battle.

The illegality of indiscriminate bombing was shown.

This would have given Okada much joy.

He would have thought, "We won the legal battle!"

But, in the end, Gen. MacArthur

rejected the findings of the review.

My husband's will went as follows...

"Do not honor me when I'm gone.

I require no funeral service.

Haruko... has this life been short or long?

It has seemed both.

I am deeply indebted to you.

I cannot thank you enough.

Thanks to your pure love

I have been able to fulfill my duties.

We have brought two children into this world.

We should feel content.

Were I to have one desire, it would be to see little Hiroko grow up...

Were I to have had my remaining years

I would have dearly loved to look after

my elderly wife.

Together with our whole family...

I firmly believe in eternal life..."

My husband is awaiting execution as a war criminal

but I am ever proud to be his wife.

If we are given life in the other world

it is my ardent wish that we meet and be joined together again.

That is the kind of man Tasuku Okada was.

Beautiful moon, isn't it?

Best wishes...

Farewell.

It's just like going next door...

"After the war, 908 war criminals were executed."

"This came to 1068 with deaths by illness and suicide."

"On May 31, 1958, Col. Hajime Onishi,"

"the last Tokai Army prisoner, was released from prison."