Humanitarianism and the Emperor's Japan, 1877-1977

Japan's reputation for humanitarianism rests on the generous behaviour accorded to 70,000 Russian prisoners of war in Japan during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05). This contrasts sharply with the brutality displayed during the Pacific War (1941-45) towards 200,000 Allied prisoners of war. The power of the State to coerce the people, by using the reverence felt for the Emperor, enabled the Japanese to switch humanitarianism on, or off, apparently at will. This extraordinary volte-face is explored in this fascinating book.