The occupation authorities were focused on rebuilding Japan enough that it would become a bulwark against Soviet expansion. Anything that would demoralize or anger the population, like trying the Emperor for his part in the war or having trials related to Unit 731, was not going to happen.
Though even in that light it's difficult to understand why people like Ishii weren't quietly hanged. I can't imagine his cooperation produced a nontrivial amount of useful information we couldn't have gleaned from documentation.
Similarly, cold war geopolitics quickly overcame the allied effort at de-nazification even while the Nuremberg tribunals were happening. Many prison sentences were commuted by ~1950. West German cooperation was more important.
I think more people should be aware of Unit 731. Japan has done a fantastic propaganda job, labelling themselves as the land of Pikachu and catgirls. But they've also the land of wild racism, WWII human experimentation and brutality towards the people they conquered. And they're unrepentant for what they did.
> I think more people should be aware of Unit 731.
They wouldn't. CIA was also doing human experiments yet, although we live in a democracy, nobody held them accountable.
You see, as long as a government cannot be held accountable by its own people, all bets are off.
CIA controls all western media, so good luck "making people aware".
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[ 1180 ms ] story [ 73.7 ms ] threadThough even in that light it's difficult to understand why people like Ishii weren't quietly hanged. I can't imagine his cooperation produced a nontrivial amount of useful information we couldn't have gleaned from documentation.
They wouldn't. CIA was also doing human experiments yet, although we live in a democracy, nobody held them accountable. You see, as long as a government cannot be held accountable by its own people, all bets are off.
CIA controls all western media, so good luck "making people aware".