General and former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo receives blood from an American Army Unit.
date: label: Date made
content: 1945
name: label: photographer
content: Mydans, Carl
notes: label: Description
content: By September 1945, World War II had come to an end. After Japan's unconditional surrender, Gen. Douglas MacArthur issued orders for the arrest of the first forty alleged war criminals, including Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. When American military police surrounded his house on September 8, 1945, they heard a muffled shot from inside. Tojo had shot himself, but despite shooting directly through a charcoal mark on his chest, the bullet missed his heart. A few minutes later, disarmed and with blood spreading on his shirt, Tojo began to talk.
label: Description
content: In his book, <i>Photojournalist</i>, Mydans reports the following: When Tojo saw General Robert Eichelberger standing at his bedside, Tojo told him he was sorry for all the trouble he was causing. Eichelberger said to the interpreter, "Ask if he means the trouble tonight, or the last four years?" Two Japanese reporters recorded Tojo's words: "I am very sorry it is taking me so long to die. The Greater East Asia War was justified and righteous. I am very sorry for the nation and all the races of the Greater Asiatic powers. I wait for the righteous judgment of history. I wished to commit suicide but sometimes that fails." Hideki Tojo was sentenced to death for war crimes and executed by hanging on December 23, 1948, after accepting full responsibility for his actions in World War II and, in the end, advocating peace.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Japan: Tōkyō, Tokyo
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
label: See more items in
content: Photography
label: See more items in
content: Carl Mydans
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Mydans, Carl. Carl Mydans, Photojournalist
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0228.083
label: accession number
content: 2005.0228
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0228.083
objectType: label: Object Name
content: photograph
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 14 in x 11 in; 35.56 cm x 27.94 cm