Shortly after Tojo and the other convicted war criminals were hanged in December 1948, the American military began a tense mission to dispose of their ashes. The effort was conducted behind locked doors and with armed guards, all to prevent the war criminals’ remains from being salvaged by supporters. David L. Howell, a professor of Japanese history at Harvard University, said that by releasing the ashes into the ocean, U.S. forces had most likely contravened their own rules. He cited a 1947 manual that said remains should be buried or given to the next of kin, when possible, after military executions. He said that it was “faulty logic” for the American authorities to believe that disposing of Tojo’s remains would prevent him from being deified by sympathizers and nationalists, many of whom continue to perceive Japan’s wartime efforts as mere acts of self-defense.

Source: International New York Times June 16, 2021 04:52 UTC