On December 23, 1948, seven Class A war criminals that included the former Prime Minister of Japan, Hideki Tojo, were executed by hanging at Sugamo Prison. The executions were carried out by the American occupation authorities. According to official U.S. documents detailing the procedures, “The execution will be witnessed with due solemnity and carried out with military precision,” and “Every precaution will be taken to prevent undue suffering on the part of the condemned.” It also stated that “Persons in attendance will make no demonstrations and no unseemly conduct of any kind will be tolerated.”

Hideki Tojo was born in Tokyo on December 30, 1884. The son of a general, his own rise through the military was helped along not only thanks to his lineage, but also due to his innate intelligence and uncanny ability for quick thinking,...

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