Shozo Tominaga
Encyclopedia
Shozo Tominaga) was a Japanese war criminal
turned peace activist.
Tominaga served in Manchuria during the Second Sino-Japanese War
. In that time, he participated in many war crimes. He served with the 39th Division, based in Hiroshima
, and from July 1941 onward served in Central China. Tominaga was captured during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945. As with many other Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union
, he was interred in a harsh POW camp in Siberia. In 1950, he was handed over to People's Republic of China
.
Tominaga was released in 1957 and returned to Japan. That same year, he co-founded a peace activist group
Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism, primarily during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Some of the incidents have also been described as an Asian Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities...
turned peace activist.
Tominaga served in Manchuria during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. In that time, he participated in many war crimes. He served with the 39th Division, based in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, and from July 1941 onward served in Central China. Tominaga was captured during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945. As with many other Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union
Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union
By the end of :World War II there were from 560,000 to 760,000 Japanese POWs in the Soviet Union and Mongolia interned to work in labor camps. Of them, about 10% died , mostly during the winter of 1945–1946....
, he was interred in a harsh POW camp in Siberia. In 1950, he was handed over to People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Tominaga was released in 1957 and returned to Japan. That same year, he co-founded a peace activist group