Tasuku Okada

Tasuku Okada (岡田 資, Okada Tasuku, April 14, 1890 – September 17, 1949) was a Japanese officer during World War II. After the war he was put on trial during the Yokohama War Crimes Trials for ordering executions of captured American aircrew. He was executed by hanging.

Tasuku Okada
BornApril 14, 1890
Tottori prefecture, Japan
DiedSeptember 17, 1949 (aged 59)
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Service/branch Imperial Japanese Army
RankRikugun-Chūjō (Lieutenant General)
Battles/warsWorld War II

Okada took responsibility for ordering the execution of 38 captured US prisoners of war, after he considered them to be war criminals for the firebombings of Japan. Okada took full blame for the war crime, in effect, shielding his subordinates from harsh punishment and earning him wide respect.[1][2]

The story of the trial of Okada and his subordinates was depicted in the 2007 film, Best Wishes for Tomorrow. He was played by Makoto Fujita.[3][4]

References
  1. Pulvers, Roger Maj. Gen. Okada: a rare leader who took the blame June 24, 2007 Japan Times Retrieved February 23, 2016
  2. Morio, Norio Japanese film a poetic look at a WWII war crime trial March 9, 2008 Archived March 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Stars and Stripes Retrieved February 23, 2016
  3. Pulvers, Roger An exemplar of where the war-crimes buck stops May 20, 2007 Japan Times Retrieved February 23, 2016
  4. Pulvers, Roger Maj. Gen. Okada: a rare leader who took the blame June 24, 2007 Japan Times Retrieved February 23, 2016


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