Statement Concerning Oki

Statement of Oki (9-13 November 1947)

43, practices law in Osaka, was a member of the Legal Bureau of the War Ministry from 1941 through 1945, graduated from law at Tokyo IU in 1928, then entered army, discharged 30 November 1945 to 1st Demobilization Bureau, Tokyo, was in Legal Administration with War Ministry, a colonel on discharge.

In April or May 1945 Oki noticed that military commissions were being set up in the various armies and enemy airmen were being tried by these armies in about April or May 1945. He discovered while investigating war crimes after the surrender in Fukuoka that in about April each army had been informed that it would not be necessary to send all flyers to Tokyo for intelligence reasons, that those retained would be disposed of by the armies. Before this the flyers were interrogated and tried in Tokyo.

Lt. Gen. Kiichi Fujii was Chief of the Legal Bureau of the War Ministry.

After the army prosecutor has conducted his investigation and drawn up his charges and opines as to sentence, he submits this to the army CG, who in the case of WA would submit it to the 2nd Army for the CG*s approval, then forwarded to the WD for decision of Chief of General Staff and Ministry of War, but would first go to the Legal Bureau for its opinion. On approval by GHQ, the docu­ments would be returned for trial.

Oki saw no reports indicating that the WALS was Expecting to hold a trial, nor was there a request for information which he would have seen if it had come through.

In September 1945 Ito reported in Tokyo to Fujii in Oki's presence that about 40 flyers had been executed at WAH without trial, stating that an explanation was forthcoming. About 10 December 1945 Ayao Oyama Chief of Legal Bureau of 1st Demobilization and Oki were called to meet with Lt. Gen. Yoshizumi, chief of General Affairs Bureau of 1st Demobilization. Also present were Mj. Gen. Konuma, chief of PW Investigation Department, Col. Ogoshi, who was under Konuma, and others, making about 10; believes there was a WA representative.

Yoshizumi said that WAH had reported that no flyers were killed there, that this was false, that there must be an investigation. About 15 December 1945 Oyama told Oki that it appeared that Ito was mixed up in it, that Oki should go to Fukuoka and investigate. Oki replacing Ito as head of LS of Western Demobilization on 17 December. Before this Ito came to Tokyo, said that Oki would find that he was not connected, contrary to rumor. Before Ito, Akita came to Tokyo, assured that they were making preparations for Oki's arrival in Fukuoka.

Oki arrived in Fukuoka 2 January 1946, conducted the investigation by order of Inada and Nishihara, not as prosecuting officer, but Chief of LS, investigated the case from 4 January to 15 January with assistance of Maj. Morio Tsukada of LS. On 16 January Oki prepared a report for the Ministry of the 1st Demobili­zation from Chief of Demobilization Bureau, which Inada, Akita, Nishihara saw, which stated that the report that about 31 flyers were not killed at WAH, but were placed on a suicide plane disguised as a plane from General Staff Head­quarters was false, that about 8 of these were killed at WAH on 20 June, 8 on

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about 10 August, 15 on 15 August, that Sato, Ito, Wako, Idezono, Tomomori, Fukushima and Kusumoto were related to this case. The notes taken while investigating the case by Igawa, Tsukada and Oki were burned on Nishihara's suggestion.

During this investigation, Oki discovered the KIU deal, Igawa being told of it by Goiyama who stated that it had been reported that 9 flyers had been sent to Hiroshima, where they were killed by the atom bomb, but that in reality they were subjected to medical experiments concerning sea water or salt water injections and were killed at KIU.

Inada told Oki not to mention the KIU incident in his report, to which Akita agreed; the report was subject to the approval of Inada. Oki discovered that Wako, Toji, Onishi, Satano, Narasaki, Kuroki, Otosu, Capt. Yoshida, Munehiro Ono, Maeda, Akamine, Hiroji Nakayama and Hashiyama were executioners of flyers, but Inada would not permit Oki to name them in his report.

The notes which Oki burned in late January contained information from Fukushima and Ito as to there having been 4 series of executions— one was probably the KIU incident; Inada did not tell Oki to report that there had been 4 series. Inada prior to this had told Oki not to mention the KIU incident, which was reported by Goiyama, since it would be embarrassing to the Japanese Army, since the flyers had been reported killed in Hiroshima.

These notes of Oki also contained the statement by Sato that Yokoyama had given permission for the executions. Inada told Oki not to report this Sato statment since it was not true; he also told him to leave out any reference to Lt. Gen. Isa, who was acting CG at Fukuoka when Yokoyama moved to Yamae. The only reference to Isa was that Yokoyama stated that Isa was Acting CG at Fukuoka when he moved to Yamae, and that Ito said that Isa was present in Yokoyama's room when Ito reported to Yokoyama that the flyers had been reported killed in the 19 June airraid, althought they were executed. Inada said that it would not be good if the Occupation Forces found Oki's notes.

In late March 1946, while living with Nishihara, Oki told him that he had notes on the executions and a statement from Idezono on the executions, un­signed, more detailed than in the report submitted, but nothing which Inada told him not to report. Nishihara told Oki he did not want to see the notes, that they should be burned, but that Oki should do as he felt best.

Oki then identifies a 16 January 1946 document (not hereto attached) as a copy of the Demobilization Ministry report, containing the seals of Oki, Akita, Inada, and Nishihara; it was sent out by Nishihara's order. Both Inada and Akita read the report.

This report states that Wako conveyed orders to Ito, who as chief of LS and Chief Prosecutor of the Tribunal to try the 4 flyers should have known to be illegal, should have confirmed the intentions of higher authorities and cor­rected this action, but instead approved this measure on the assumption that there had been orders from higher command, but this is enclosed in red paren­thesis marks and appears slightly crossed out because Ito became angry when hearing of this, told Oki he first knew of the executions on 20 June when he went to the scene. In mid February 1946 Oki reported this matter the second

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time, stated the matter as Ito told him, with the approval of Akita, Inada and Nishihara. In this 2nd report, the 2nd execution was reported at 10 August rather than 12 August and it stated that Tomomori went to the scene only as an observer, not as in the 1st report which states that Idezono reported the coming execution of 12 August to Tomomori, the 2nd deputy Chief of Staff and that Tomomori agreed to it and the executions were conducted in his pre­sence. Tomomori had come to Oki, said he only observed, this in the presence of Idezono, who then said that if Tomomori says that he only came along to watch, to state it that way, but after Tomomori left the room Idezono stated that Tomomori was the highest ranking officer present, that this was his way of escaping responsibility.

The last change: In the first report Oki stated that Sato ordered Kusumoto to have the remaining flyers executed by the young officers in the operations section. Since Kusumoto was only used to relay the orders bf Sato, Oki left his name out in the second report.

When Oki first arrived at Fukuoka, he suggested to Inada and Nishihara that he be made a prosecuting officer so the investigation would be easier and more accurate, but they decided he should do it as Chief of LS since the facts had not yet been made public. Inada said to hurry it, that he was to find out what he could, but that he, Inada, would not tell him what he knew.

Akita was present at this time; Oki then told this to Ayao Oyama, Chief of LS of 1st Demobilization in Tokyo, who was noncommittal.

Fukushima ordered Oki that inasmuch as the case could be covered up why was it being investigated. Oki replied that even the typists at Western Demobi­lization knew of the affair, that it couldn't be covered up. Fukushima dis­liked Inada and Akita (who were friends), said things opposed to Inada. Fukushima had already sent a report to ClC that 31 flyers had been put on a suicide plane, did not want the case investigated.

Oki then gives a roster of Western Demobilization Bureau, which became a bureau and not WAH on 1 Decembers

Chief of WA: Nishihara (replaced Yokoyama about October 1945)

Chief of General Affairs Bureaus Inada

Chief of General Affairs Sections Akita

Chief of Documents Sections Jin

Members: Kusumoto, Nakatani, Tamura, Nakao

Chief of Liaison Section (Under Akita)s Kenichi Yamamoto from March 1946, then Hiroshi Tsutsumi after June 1946.

Chief of Attached General Affairs Bureau (under Inada) Yakumaru

Chief of Business Bureau (under Nishihara)s Fukushima

Chief of Demobilization Section (under Fukushima)s Harasaki

Chief of Welfare Section (under Fukushimas Nakamizo

Chief of Finance Sections Iketani (former maj. gen.): Members Endo

Chief of Medical Section Sakasaki (under Nishihara, arrived about October 1945)

Members of LSs Oki, Kasuo Igawa (from December 1945); Morio Tsukada (arrived at war's end): Gishichiro Fujikawa (arrived after wars end,) Matsuzo Shimasaki (former member of LS WAH), Masumi Fujii (arrived after Wars end) Ito was attached to the LS in name and getting paid for it as of 17 December.