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World War II Pacific Theater Case Synopses from Judge Advocate's Reviews Yokohama Class B and C War Crimes Trials
Defendant: Tarodachi, Miki, POW Camp, Oeyama, Japan

Docket No./ Date: 147/ May 15, 1947, Yokohama, Japan

Charge: Violation of the laws and customs of war: 1. Did willfully and unlawfully mistreat PW (spec 1, 2, 4)

Specifications: beating using among others fist, shoe; kicking; compelling PWs to stand with boot in each hand at arm's length for two hours; compelling sick PWs to work when physically unfit;

Verdict: 1 year CHL

Reviewing Authority's Recommendations: Accused struck, beat and kicked PWs for violations of camp regulations (having torn blankets) or for no mentioned reason.

Reviewing Authority: Accused stated that when PWs disobeyed his warnings, after he had cautioned them a number of times, he "succumbed to his feelings and hit them." When he was a soldier, he had been struck by his superiors. After thinking it over, however, he did feel that it would have been better if he had just spoken to them.

Prosecution Arguments: Record is legally sufficient to support all the findings. From the evidence introduced and with their pleas of guilty, the guilt of the accused was firmly established. There is no error which injuriously affected the rights of the accused or any failure to accord him a fair trial. There is no evidence that the accused was not sane at the time of the alleged acts and at the time of trial.

Defense Arguments: Paul E. Spurlock, Reviewer

Judge Advocate's Recommendations: No Comment Made




Child Testifying in Court in Manila.
Photo: U.S. Army, courtesy of Bob Harmon

The trial records of Japanese War Criminals Tried at Yokohama, Japan, between 1946 and 1949 is broken into 2 sets:

  1. 59 reels - Records of Trials and Clemency Petitions for Accused Japanese War Criminals Tried at Yokohama, Japan (1946-1948)
  2. 5 reels - Reviews of the Yokohama Class B and C war crimes Trials by the 8th Army judge Advocate (1946-1949)

The following is a summary of the corresponding case found in the latter group (5-reel set of Judge Advocate's Reviews). Analysis Prepared by Stella Lee Researcher, War Crimes Studies Center


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