Tokyo Trials: 80 Years On: Remembering history, safeguarding peace

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials. Established in 1946 after the end of the Second World War, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East later delivered verdicts against Japan’s Class-A war criminals in 1948, holding them legally accountable for their wars of aggression and atrocities committed. Sun Tianyuan reports.

International scholars gathered in Shanghai to reflect on the legacy of the Tokyo Trial, 80 years on.

They said the tribunal, together with the Nuremberg Trials, set a legal precedent for prosecuting wars of aggression and related crimes.

Participants added that the trials helped shape the postwar international order still in place today.

WANG SHIZHOU Professor, Law School Peking University “The Tokyo Trial was a just and fair judgment. Its conclusions cannot be overturned. To deny the trial is to deny the postwar international order centered on the United Nations, the victory against fascism, and the peace framework established after World War Two.”

Scholars also voiced concern over recent developments in Japan.

They pointed to Japanese politicians’ repeated visits to shrines honoring convicted war criminals, efforts to revise the country’s pacifist constitution, and its growing military buildup and nuclear debate.

Participants said such moves echo the militarist path exposed during the Tokyo Trial.

MASATAKA MORI Professor, Shizuoka University “The Tokyo Trial clearly confirmed that Japan launched wars of aggression, violated international law, and that aggressive war itself was illegal. Yet in Japan, some describe the tribunal as victor’s justice. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi does not refer to the Class-A war criminals convicted in the Tokyo Trial as criminals. In my view, such remarks distort the essence of the Tokyo Trial and go against internationally recognized historical facts.”

Participants also visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, where they paid tribute to victims of wartime atrocities.

After Japanese troops occupied Nanjing in 1937, more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war were killed.

LIM KAH HOE Director, Malaysian Chinese Museum “I was deeply moved by the visit. During the Pacific War, Japanese troops also carried out massacres in Malaysia. But at the time, trials under the British colonial government focused mainly on crimes against prisoners of war, while many atrocities against the Chinese community were overlooked. The Tokyo Trial still stands for justice and fairness. But we also hope to seek overdue justice for the people of Asia.”

SUN TIANYUAN Nanjing, Jiangsu Province “The Tokyo Trial remains a symbol of the international community’s effort to uphold justice through law. As the postwar order faces growing challenges, scholars stress that remembering history is essential to safeguarding peace in the future. Sun Tianyuan, CGTN, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.”

Link : https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-05-29/VHJhbnNjcmlwdDkwODYw/index.html