An Age-Old Question: Optical (A)llusions, (In)Decency, and (In)Justice in the Trial of Japanese War Criminals

What is it about?

This article explores the gap between expectation and reality in the trial of Japanese war criminals following World War II. Defendants appeared in courts as shadows of their former selves. Observers found it difficult to reconcile the frail and unassuming accused in court with the horrific nature of their crimes. The resulting incongruity hurt the effectiveness of postwar justice.

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