JAPANESE ARMY OFFICERS AND MEN
and the sections in 'Blood and Mud in the Philippines' where they appear
  • 1st Lt then Capt, Makoto Yoshioka (Kumai) or Makato Yoshioka (Trial), 4th Company
  • 2nd Lt Fukumori Okuda
  • Captain Kaneyuki Koike
  • 1st Lieutenant Chiyomi Toyota, 3rd Company
  • 1st Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, platoon leader 3rd Company, then company commander 2nd Company
  • Capt Jiro Motoki


    1st Lt then Capt, Makoto Yoshioka (Kumai) or Makato Yoshioka (Trial), 4th Company

    - Yoshioka and his company were tasked by Capt. Watanabe to capture Gov. Tomas Confesor.
    - Later sentenced to hang for the killing of American fliers at San Jose, Antique.

    Section 2.1 At dawn of the next day, Battalion Commander Fukutome and Captain Kengo Watanabe accompanied the reinforcements from the Yoshioka 4th Company that joined us.

    Section 3.1 There were only twelve of us and the enemy fire was increasing. So I dispatched a messenger to send a wireless call for reinforcements from the headquarters. The shooting continued into the evening when a relief force of 30-40 men arrived led by 1st Lieutenant Yoshioka and Sergeant Kurosawa and likely caused the guerrillas to withdraw.

    Section 4.3 Those men Captain Watanabe considered ‘useful’ were unfortunate as they were sent to the guerrilla fronts and one by one lost their lives. The first unfortunate ones were members of the 4th Company or the Yoshioka unit.

    Section 4.3 Captain Watanabe judged that Confesor had fled to Antique, which had originally been the area of operation of the Taga unit. Nevertheless, Captain Watanabe wished to capture Confesor himself, and so dispatched the Yoshioka Company to perform this assignment.

    Section 4.3 The Yoshioka Company was running out of food during their expedition. Parts of the area they went through were unexplored mountainous regions – more than a thousand meters above sea level – as well as low swamps that bred mountain leeches. Local guides were afraid, but the company pushed through mountain after mountain, slurping gruel and munching corn. At the end of July, they managed to reach the Taga unit at the Sibalom garrison of Antique province, about 40 kilometers away from Bocari. Personnel of the Taga unit first thought they were a group of beggars as they were all so ragged, exhausted, and with no proper footwear. When offered a meal, they greedily devoured it beyond all sense of shame.

    After a few days rest, the Yoshioka Company was ordered to join the Taga unit that was tasked to carry out the punitive expedition into northern Antique up to the area of Pandan. Pandan was the base where US submarines landed supplies for the guerrillas. Many men of the Yoshioka Company had upset stomachs from the large and sudden amounts of food they had consumed. All the same, they obeyed the order and ran around the mountains and valleys searching for guerrillas in the rainy season which produced not much result. They ended the expedition of northern Antique on September 8 and came back by boat to Iloilo City.

    Section 5.4 While the main force was in Tablas, Yoshioka’s 4th Company had subjugated guerrillas around the town of Alfonso Doce in Capiz.

    Section 6.1 After the capture of the Americans in Egue in Tapaz, we made our way back to Iloilo City on December 31, destroying guerrilla bases along the way. The companies of Yoshioka and Fujii, who had taken different routes to Kalibo, Capiz also returned to Iloilo through Pandan, Antique.

    Section 6.1 Thus, the relentless punitive expedition that lasted for a half-year before Manila headquarters announced the subjugation of the Panay guerrillas. The Taga unit was ordered from Antique to Davao on Mindanao Island on December 20, and the 4th Company of our unit led by Yoshioka was sent to replace them in Antique.

    Section 6.2 Among the numerous cases of damage from mercenaries, the major one fell on the Sentry Squad led by Corporal Matsuoka of the Yoshioka unit in Antique province. They were on Trappist hill, about 120 meters high, looking down on the road between San Jose and Sibalom. Guerrillas also considered this an important point and had often attacked from there. In March 1944, Mosendo and Tickiman were assigned to the squad as mercenaries. One day at around 4 p.m., the two Filipino mercenaries offered everyone tuba; and, as the Japanese soldiers were drunkenly asleep, the two killed the Japanese with their rifles. With a signal of three shots, the guerrillas entered. They grabbed clothes, weapons, bullets and set the place afire. One of the Japanese soldiers happened to have gone outside to urinate. It was his report that revealed the annihilation of this squad.

    Section 8.3 At the village of Cagay on the 22nd, we were fortunately able to make the prearranged contact with the Yoshioka Force from San Jose, Antique. We had sent them a radio message to abandon San Jose and move to Bocari.

    Section 8.3 The 4th Company Yoshioka force and the Antique airfield unit led by 1st Lieutenant Ishida abandoned San Jose on March 31. Crossing enemy lines, they arrived at Bocari on April 10. The day before they left, they executed three captured US pilots. This deed led to the commander’s being tried as a war criminal after the war. They also set a time bomb just before they left. When it exploded, it killed soldiers of a platoon of Company A of the 6th Regiment, including the company commander, Captain Anicetas V. Daguinotan.

    Section 9.1 When May came, a few companies of US forces started attacking the west position with rifles and light machine-guns. Enemy planes also started strafing. At one time, they even scattered fuel from the air and set it afire, causing the death of several soldiers and leaving the position in flames. The US forces repeatedly attacked the west position of the Yoshioka unit. Because of lack of ammunition they remained patient; they drew the enemy near and shot them. After several assaults that brought about the death of some American soldiers, the attacks on the Yoshioka force ceased.

    Section 9.1 Early the next morning, we set as many heavy machine guns as we had – which were just four or five – in the positions of the Yoshioka, Mukaibara, and Mizutani forces that aimed at the plateau from three directions. The Japanese soldiers awaited the arrival of the enemy with anticipation. Suddenly, the US soldiers showed up and swelled into a crowd, smoking and walking around. With the order, ‘Fire!’ several shells exploded on the slope behind the plateau.

    Section 9.2 We kept passive while the US forces led the war. Not content to wait out for the one-sided attack, however, some forces volunteered to storm the enemy at night. The unit commander ordered the Yoshioka force to do this since it had a lot of combat experience. For this purpose, 2nd Lieutenant Okuda volunteered to be the commander of the Raiding Unit.

    On the night of the raid, at around 2 a.m., we heard fierce shooting towards the American position that lasted for some time before the stillness returned. In the morning, Captain Yoshioka came out smiling broadly with several US ration tins. They had also captured batteries for the wireless radio and transceiver or walkie-talkie.

    Section 11.1 One day towards the end of November, nine people were summoned: staff officer Colonel Hidemi Watanabe, unit commander Colonel Tozuka, Captain Makoto Yoshioka, 1st Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, Captain Jiro Motoki, Second Lieutenant Otsuka, and myself from the Japanese Army; also Captain Kaneyuki Koike and WO Fusataro Shin of the Kempeitai. Seeing the line up of the nine, I felt a chill in my heart.

    Section 11.3 On the next day, June 3, the full-scale investigation by prosecutors started. It went on day after day, exhausting everyone who was anxious to know how they may be saved from the death penalty at the end of each day. In these circumstances, we heard of how the executions of Captain Makoto Yoshioka of the 4th company and 2nd Lieutenant Okuda, a platoon commander, were carried out.



    Second Lt. Fukumori Okuda
    - Sentenced to be shot for beheading and bayonetting American fliers at San Jose, Antique

    Section 9.2 We kept passive while the US forces led the war. Not content to wait out for the one-sided attack, however, some forces volunteered to storm the enemy at night. The unit commander ordered the Yoshioka force to do this since it had a lot of combat experience. For this purpose, 2nd Lieutenant Okuda volunteered to be the commander of the Raiding Unit.

    On the night of the raid, at around 2 a.m., we heard fierce shooting towards the American position that lasted for some time before the stillness returned. In the morning, Captain Yoshioka came out smiling broadly with several US ration tins. They had also captured batteries for the wireless radio and transceiver or walkie-talkie.

    Section 11.3 On the next day, June 3, the full-scale investigation by prosecutors started. It went on day after day, exhausting everyone who was anxious to know how they may be saved from the death penalty at the end of each day. In these circumstances, we heard of how the executions of Captain Makoto Yoshioka of the 4th company and 2nd Lieutenant Okuda, a platoon commander, were carried out.



    Second Lt. Kikio Kai
    sentenced 40 years hard labor for the killing of American fliers

    Sgt. Maj. Takeji Wada
    sentenced 30 years for the killing of American fliers

    Sgt. Shishiro Inoue
    sentenced 30 years for the killing of American fliers



    WO Fusataro Shin
    Kempeitai



    1st Lieutenant Chiyomi Toyota, 3rd Company

    Section 2.1 The unit commander, Major Fukutome, ordered me as leader of around 25 soldiers, including Second Lieutenant Toyota of the 3rd Company to replace the relief group. We rushed out with a captured US field gun.

    Section 2.2 A detachment led by the unit commander himself left Iloilo for the relief of Santa Barbara. This was made up of 250 soldiers from the headquarters–the 1st Company and a platoon led by Second Lieutenant Toyota of the 3rd Company.

    Section 2.2 The worst experience of the reinforcement operations fell on Second Lieutenant Toyota and his detachment of more than 30 men. Guerrillas ambushed them near Barrio Buyo in Santa Barbara along the Aganan River.

    Section 6.3 Until March 1944, it had been peaceful. Eventually, the guerrillas reorganized themselves and became active once again. They first attacked the Philippine railway trains and buses on the trunk roads. In due course, 1st Lieutenant Toyota’s garrison at Sara, which was situated farthest from the town, had to withdraw because of worsening conditions in the surrounding areas.

    Section 8.1 First Lieutenant Chiyomi Toyota of the 3rd Company stationed at the Cordova garrison was the only officer who witnessed the landing of the US forces. The Cordova position stood on a hill eight kilometers north of Tigbauan overlooking the Panay Gulf.

    Section 8.1 With 30 other soldiers, Toyota had successfully parried guerrilla attacks. In the early morning of March 18, however, he awoke to terrible explosions and climbed the watchtower. He saw the blue-white lights of the warship bombardment and heard the blasts. Flashes from the Kawano unit’s position in Tigbauan, blown off by about 1,500 shells from bombardment of the landing warships, were also visible.

    Section 8.3 On the other hand, the Toyota platoon at Cordova amazingly forced its way through and joined the main force at Bocari.

    Section 11.1 Eventually, more people arrived at the camp, including Sergeant Tokizo Makita, Corporal Itai, Private First Class Sekitomo Ueki, Master Sergeant Shirakura, Master Sergeant Yoshiaki Sumitani, Sergeant Watanabe, Interpreter Ogino were from the Kempeitai. Several days later, we were joined by 1st Lieutenant Toyota.

    Section 11.2 I decided to carry out our escape in mid-May. That night a theatre performance was held sponsored by gangsters (Yakuza) who had control of the camp. The moon was expected to rise at 10 p.m. Six of us – myself, lst Lieutenant Toyota, Sergeant Makita, Corporal Itai, and Major Takeshita of the Mindanao Kempeitai and his subordinate Sergeant Kobayashi – gathered at 7 p.m. by the ditch of the NCO and enlisted men’s camp that we had earlier identified.

    Section 11.4 The trial of 1st Lieutenant Chiyomi Toyota started towards the end of July 1946. The grounds for his prosecution were incidents in Sara. As garrison commander at Sara and a representative of all Japanese Army officers who joined the punitive expedition there, a guilty sentence was expected for him. The prosecution framed Lieutenant Toyota as a war criminal suspect though factual details of the relevant incidents did not fit . Captain Watanabe, in fact, committed the crimes. Therefore, the personnel dispatched to investigate the crime scenes could not find anything that proved his alleged crimes.

    The prosecution was surprised but could not withdraw the indictment. The lawyer asked Toyota to admit the indictments as facts and that they would get him a sentence of less than twenty-five years. Toyota chose not to conform, relying on the facts. The trial started. I stood as witness and testified as to the absence of Toyota at the supposed crime scenes since he had been dispatched to completely different areas. In the end, Lieutenant Toyota received a 25-year hard labor sentence as the lawyer had predicted.

    Section 11.4 Those who got life imprisonment were Captain Jiro Motoki, Master Sergeant Kuwano, and Sergeant Hamamoto. First Lieutenant Toyota and I got a 25-year sentence while Sergeant Matsuzaki got a 5-year imprisonment.



    1st Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, platoon leader 3rd Company, then company commander 2nd Company

    Section 4.4 The punitive expedition that was eventually organized was under the direct command of Battalion Commander Tozuka. Owing to his excellent work in combat, First Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, who was a platoon leader of the 3rd Company, was given the special designation of company commander in this campaign.

    Section 5.1 In the pursuit of these war operations, Captain Watanabe was impatient and tended to claim credit of the results for himself. He became surly when his subordinates claimed more accomplishments. He himself led the undertaking when the intelligence information obtained was likely to bring favorable outcomes. He ordered 1st Lieutenant Hajime Fujii and myself to supporting roles or assigned us to areas where no good results were expected. I tried to overcome this behavior of Captain Watanabe in ways very different from the threats and intimidation that he adopted.

    Section 5.3 The punitive forces gathered information, acted on it, and imposed a lot of hardship and sacrifice on the local residents. They went up along the Aklan River and approached the communications headquarters at Mt. Nacron. A member of Hajime Fujii’s unit accidentally stumbled on something, and they ended up digging up 50 to 60 rifles buried in tin drums. This happened in the middle of the fierce rainy season, in mountain ranges where the aboriginal people of Panay lived. An unfortunate aborigine guided us to an empty house where we found a pair of small-sized high-heeled shoes, an indication that the place had been a guerrilla base.

    Section 5.4 Many guerrillas had purportedly escaped to Tablas Island. Here, the base of the main force was in Despojol while that of the Fujii Company was in Odiongan. Local people expressed allegiance, and offered accommodation and food. Everyday, Captain Watanabe dispatched many soldiers in search of guerrillas, but they could not get any information.

    In the quest for guerrilla subjugation, I once visited the Fujii Company in Odiongan. They all looked relaxed with plenty of food offered by local residents. Compared with the gloomy Captain Watanabe, 1st Lieutenant Fujii was a cheerful and jovial man. This was probably the reason why both the soldiers and the local people were in a bright mood. They invited us to stay overnight for a welcome dance party. Around 40 men and women gathered that evening, and with wonderful music played by a band, the dancing lasted until midnight. Although it was a welcome dance party for the Japanese Army, I was the only one who could dance, the other Japanese soldiers were simply onlookers. In our worn and messy clothes after months of living in the mountains, we all looked like uncivilized barbarians who stepped into a party.

    The main unit led by Captain Watanabe did not produce any results while the Fujii Company was able to bring in 30 POWs–including Sergeant Ramon Lopez, the Mayor of Odiongan who surrendered to 1st Lieutenant Fujii. Outraged by Fujii’s accomplishment, Captain Watanabe summoned Fujii into his room, yelled at him and beat him, for the reason that ‘Fujii should have been more obedient to orders.’ The battalion commander was in the next room but showed no concern for this incident.

    Section 6.1 The companies of Yoshioka and Fujii, who had taken different routes to Kalibo, Capiz also returned to Iloilo through Pandan, Antique. In the mountains near the town of Pandan, the Itsuki squad of 1st Lieutenant Fujii’s company arrested a guerrilla captain, Antonio Romero. He had three daughters, well-known beauties throughout the province of Antique. Impressed by their beauty, staff officer Watanabe insisted that the Nihon Boseki Kaisha (Japan Spinning Company) in Iloilo employ all three.

    Section 6.3 Major General Takeshi Kôno set up the expedition headquarters at Iloilo City. The expedition took around 60 days, from early May towards the end of June 1944. The special punitive expedition company was organized within the Tozuka unit with 1st Lieutenant Fujii as company commander. I was the unit’s deputy commander and was in charge of intelligence.

    Section 8.1 Around 2 p.m., we suddenly heard guns in the direction of Molo – a dozen shots that moved from point to point, which made me wonder if the guerrillas had finally started using self-propelled guns. Running and stumbling like a rolling ball, an orderly from the Fujii unit soon arrived to report, ‘The enemy tanks are attacking the Molo position.’

    Section 8.2 At the meeting, the headquarters staff all looked tense. Apart from Lieutenant Colonel Ryoichi Tozuka (unit commander). 1st Lieutenant Ishikawa, and myself, there were the following: Army Doctor Egami, Finance Officer 1st Lieutenant Kuge, 1st Lieutenant Yamamoto (deputy commander of the machine-gun force), Lieutenant Fujii of the 2nd Company, Captain Kaneyuki Koike (Kempeitai commander), and Lieutenant Noda of the 1st Company of the Tanabe unit, Commander Suzuki of the Transport Company, and 1st Lieutenant Mizutani (commander of the oil tank construction unit), a captain in charge of engineering of the airfield construction unit, Commander Ika of the Hôjin Company, 1st Lieutenant Nakamura of the remaining 102nd Division forces, President Kimura of the Japanese Association (Nihonjin-kai), and Medical Doctor Tanaka of the Iloilo Army Hospital. With a few dozen men, Captain Torao Saitô (machine gun unit commander) had left the previous night to lead the retreat of the Santo Rosario garrison at Guimaras. They managed to get back later that evening.

    Section 8.2 The attack was to commence at 8 p.m. that night, since we would have to force our way through enemy lines before the moon rose at 10 p.m. Before reaching Pavia, we should make a quick turn towards the direction of San Miguel. Behind the first line, the 60 men of the headquarters unit, 60 men of the Kempeitai, 180 of the Mizutani Force, 50 of the remaining 102nd Division Nakamura unit, 200 Hôjin, 80 of the Hôjin Company, the Army Hospital Force and 300 patients, were to follow. Then, the 20 trucks and 20 horses, guarded at the rear by 150 members of the Fujii Company. It was emphasized to all that everyone should arrive at Alimodian by dawn of the next day.

    Section 8.2 At around 4 a.m. of March 19*, Lieutenant Fujii, commander of the 2nd Company that was posted as rear guard, surprised the headquarters staff by showing up suddenly. He said: ‘Shall the 2nd Company cross the Jaro River on the right and attack from that side? The rear would be empty without their protection, exposing the Hôjin Company, hospital patients, and Hôjin women and children left behind. Otherwise, however, we would all be destroyed.’ Colonel Tozuka then ordered, ‘All right, Fujii. Do that.’ Before long, the Fujii Company crossed the Jaro River. In the hope that other forces would follow them, the headquarters ordered an NCO liaison officer to guide the Hôjin.

    Section 8.2 When the guerrillas started to approach us, 1st Lieutenant Fujii whispered, ‘Do not shoot yet, do not. Let the enemy come close and shoot.

    Section 8.2 With the Fujii Force in front, we had been moving towards Pavia for seven or eight minutes when enemy artillery started shooting simultaneously at the coconut grove where we had been. The thuds – ‘Dahn, dahn’ – lasted for half an hour without interval. We had narrowly escaped by a hair’s breadth.

    Section 11.1 One day towards the end of November, nine people were summoned: staff officer Colonel Hidemi Watanabe, unit commander Colonel Tozuka, Captain Makoto Yoshioka, 1st Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, Captain Jiro Motoki, Second Lieutenant Otsuka, and myself from the Japanese Army; also Captain Kaneyuki Koike and WO Fusataro Shin of the Kempeitai. Seeing the line up of the nine, I felt a chill in my heart

    Section 11.4 The trial of 1st Lieutenant Hajime Fujii was based on dozens of killings. The prosecutor made a Filipino interpreter and spy who had served Fujii, Francisco Manzanilla (called Jiro among the Japanese Army soldiers), stand as a powerful witness. When Francisco met Fujii at the court, he briefly looked apologetic but soon replied to the questions of the prosecutor. Fujii did not object to his testimonies; if he countered the statements of Francisco, things might go against Francisco in his own trial as a Japanese collaborator. Furthermore, countering Francisco’s testimony might increase the number of war criminal suspects among the soldiers of Fujii’s company. So he kept silent. A female witness appeared at the Court. While testifying that Fujii had humiliated her, she collapsed crying. Fujii had already made up his mind that there was no way to avoid the death penalty and his attitude showed his belief there was nothing he could do by making a fuss. His defense lawyer Springer was moved by his transcendental attitude, and he painstakingly took the argument as follows: ‘Although Fujii caused many incidents, the fact that he was promoted without receiving any punishment showed that his deeds were all according to the orders given by his commanders.’

    Although Fujii himself did not call in any witnesses, Lieutenant General Kôno Colonel Tozuka had been summoned as his defense witnesses. The defense lawyer tried to have them testify that they were the ones who gave Fujii his orders. However, both Kôno and Tozuka consistently replied that they knew nothing and made no remarks to protect Fujii. As expected, his sentence was ‘death by hanging.’

    Section 11.4 The trial of the Panay cases ended on August 19 with the trial of Sergeant Hamamoto. The sentences were as follows: seven were sentenced to death by hanging–the garrison commander Lieutenant General Kôno, the unit commander Lieutenant Colonel Tozuka, lst Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, Second Lieutenant Noriyuki Otsuka, Kempeitai WO Fusataro Shin, Sergeant Tokizo Makita, and Lance Corporal Hisaki Itai. Those who got life imprisonment were Captain Jiro Motoki, Master Sergeant Kuwano, and Sergeant Hamamoto. First Lieutenant Toyota and I got a 25-year sentence while Sergeant Matsuzaki got a 5-year imprisonment.

    Section 11.4 On January 15, 1947, we learned that prisoners who received prison sentences for life or for some definite time were to be sent back to Japan. On the day of departure, I went to pay a last visit to those colleagues who got the death sentence. General Kôno sat heavily on the bed and said, ‘I wish you good health.’ Fujii said, ‘When you return, give my best to my dear wife,’ and his loud laugh rang out as usual. Shin glared up at me, ‘Are you going home?’ Makita greeted me saying, ‘It’s been nice knowing you. I wish you good health.’ Itai grudgingly said, ‘I hope you will certainly avenge this.’ Colonel Tozuka and Otsuka just peeped through the slits of their cells, and the Colonel shouted, ‘Be quick and get yourself a nice wife.’ Otsuka, in the next cell, laughingly added, ‘Do not make such haste, do not.’

    Section 11.4 Another month later, on April 24, Lieutenant General Kôno, 1st Lieutenant Fujii, and Major Mikami of the Army Hyô Group of Mindanao were executed. Lieutenant General Kôno left a haiku poem, ‘The spring breeze has scattered dew drops at the end of a leaf.’ First Lieutenant Fujii climbed up the stairs, joking to his old mahjong-mate Mikami, ‘I wish we could play mahjong one more time.’



    Captain Jiro Motoki

    Section 7.1 With the reorganization in July 1944, a labor unit (sagyo tal) of 50 men led by 1st Lieutenant Michio Saitô was attached to Lieutenant Colonel Tozuka’s 170th Independent Infantry Battalion. I succeeded Captain Jiro Motoki as Adjutant of the battalion upon his assignment as Junior Adjutant Officer of the Division headquarters.

    Section 11.1 One day towards the end of November, nine people were summoned: staff officer Colonel Hidemi Watanabe, unit commander Colonel Tozuka, Captain Makoto Yoshioka, 1st Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, Captain Jiro Motoki, Second Lieutenant Otsuka, and myself from the Japanese Army; also Captain Kaneyuki Koike and WO Fusataro Shin of the Kempeitai. Seeing the line up of the nine, I felt a chill in my heart.

    Section 11.2 On April 4, we were again moved to the prison camp in Canlubang. I immediately started to prepare for escape. Through reliable acquaintances, I tried hard to collect information on the geography of Mt. Makiling and the area around it, the places where the Japanese Army buried their weapons, the possible existence of any Japanese soldiers, the sea current from the northern end of Luzon Island to the sea off Taiwan, and the trade winds. Then again, I also made every effort to obtain goods such as medicine for malaria, salt, a compass, map, knives, mess kits, canteens, a US tent and so on. Old friends like Captain Junsuke Hitomi of the Army Propaganda Corps and Captain Motoki kindly gave me malaria medicine and salt, wishing me success on my escape.

    Section 11.3 Next day, in the morning of July 6, Captain Jiro Motoki, the Adjutant of the headquarters at the time of the incident, presented himself at the court as a witness to substantiate my testimony. He specifically testified without showing any faults that he put Shimoji in the military prison for a month upon my order.

    Section 11.4 The next case involved the unit headquarters represented by Captain Jiro Motoki. Jose Dimzon, a former spy for the headquarters was presented as a prosecution witness, along with several of his relatives, but Motoki was handed a sentence of life imprisonment. Sergeant Hamamoto of the Machine-gun unit, who represented those prosecuted for crimes on Guimaras Island was also given a life sentence due to the excellent defense of his lawyer, Banda.

    The trial of the Panay cases ended on August 19 with the trial of Sergeant Hamamoto. The sentences were as follows: seven were sentenced to death by hanging–the garrison commander Lieutenant General Kôno, the unit commander Lieutenant Colonel Tozuka, lst Lieutenant Hajime Fujii, Second Lieutenant Noriyuki Otsuka, Kempeitai WO Fusataro Shin, Sergeant Tokizo Makita, and Lance Corporal Hisaki Itai. Those who got life imprisonment were Captain Jiro Motoki, Master Sergeant Kuwano, and Sergeant Hamamoto. First Lieutenant Toyota and I got a 25-year sentence while Sergeant Matsuzaki got a 5-year imprisonment.