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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: Shimoda, Ryoichi, prison guard at the Nagoya Area Prisoner of War Camp No. 1, Kamioka, Honshu, Japan

Docket No./ Date: 26/April 29 - May 2, 1946, Yokohama, Japan

Charge: 1. Willfully and unlawfully commit cruel, inhuman and brutal atrocities and other offenses against numerous American P.O.W.s

Specifications:

Verdict: 20 years confinement at hard labor/ Sentence Upheld

Reviewing Authority's Recommendations:

Reviewing Authority: Paul E. Spurlock, Reviewer, Judge Advocate Section

Prosecution Arguments:

Defense Arguments: 1. Mis-identification of the accused 2. Treated the prisoners well and was concerned for their welfare 3. Once slapped and hit prisoner for lying. Superior Orders on the incident involving one particular prisoner.

Judge Advocate's Recommendations: In the Opinion section, the reviewer says that the accused admitted to slapping "three others" while previous section's summary of says that the accused slapped one person. Why is there a discrepancy?


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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