Tojo Diary
The diary of former Japanese prime minister Hideki Tojo shows that he was against surrendering to allied forces - even after the atomic bomb was dropped. Penned by Tojo himself, the diaries give an insight into his reasoning behind the war and his suicide attempt just prior to his capture.
Fast Facts
- Diary confirmed written by Tojo
- Journals a two-week period starting the day after the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki
- The diary resides in the National Archives of Japan
- Published in the Nikkei Newspaper in 2008 for the 63rd anniversary of the surrender
- Expresses Hodeki's criticism of the Pottsdam Declaration
Excerpts
"The Japanese government has accepted the notion that Japan is the loser and it appears to be going to accept unconditional surrender. Such a position frustrates the officers and soldiers of the imperial armed forces."
"Without fully employing its abilities even at the final moment, the imperial nation is surrendering to the enemies' propaganda. I never imagined such torpor in the nation's leaders and its people."
"Now that the government has decided to proceed to diplomatic processes after gaining the emperor's judgment, I have decided to refrain from making any comments about it, although I have maintained a separate view."
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