NationStates Jolt Archive

I haven't seen this posted here yet.

Civilian survivors sue state over Tokyo air raid

By JUN HONGO
Staff writer

Claiming that the state has failed to compensate civilian casualties of the Great Tokyo Air Raid of 1945, victims and their relatives filed suit against the government Friday, demanding a combined 1.23 billion yen in reparations and an apology.

News photo
Survivors of the March 10, 1945, U.S. firebombing of Tokyo march Friday to the Tokyo District Court, where they filed suit for compensation from the central government. KYODO PHOTO

The 112 plaintiffs, aged between 57 and 88, say the government's failure to recognize them has caused "decades of intolerable pain." The suit, the first of its kind, was filed the day before the 62nd anniversary of the March 10, 1945, firebombing of downtown Tokyo. The attack left some 100,000 people dead.

"The central government rewards former soldiers and their families with military pensions but ignores its duty to aid civilians who were injured or killed in the raid," said Taketoshi Nakayama, lawyer for the plaintiffs.

By doing so, the government has forced civilians to endure injuries and losses from the war, in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which states that all people are equal under the law, Nakayama said.

The interesting bit is this:
The suit also holds the government responsible for indecently prolonging the war, claiming Japan's defeat was certain by July 1944 and its consequences, including the air raids on Tokyo and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, could have been prevented.
article continues (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070310a2.html)

Should set an interesting precedent...

As I recall, the Japanese GOVERNMENT was pretty keen to end the war towards the end. The military wouldnt let them though.
Correct me if Im wrong, of course.

EDIT:
Also, 1.2 billion Yen? Thats what, $10,000? ;)
(couldnt help it :P)

Should set an interesting precedent...
Assuming the courts let it get anywhere. It'd be nice to see it suceed and watch Abe and the LDP mess themselves though.

As I recall, the Japanese GOVERNMENT was pretty keen to end the war towards the end. The military wouldnt let them though.
Correct me if Im wrong, of course.
Er, quite a bit more complicated than that.

EDIT:
Also, 1.2 billion Yen? Thats what, $10,000? ;)
(couldnt help it :P)

Try $1 million.

Er, quite a bit more complicated than that.

Indeed.

Should set an interesting precedent...

...in psychiatry.

;)

Er, quite a bit more complicated than that.
But, in general terms, accurate?

Try $1 million.
Or ten million, if I did the math correctly.

But, in general terms, accurate?

No, not really. There were civilian factions that wanted to end the war, but the diddn't hold enough control.

Or ten million, if I did the math correctly.

Damin Jim, I'm an English teacher, not a math teacher![/McCoy]

But, in general terms, accurate?
Nope, a lot of the civilian government were ok with the war as well (not to mention there were military factions that wanted the war to end), then you have the difficulty of trying to pin down the Emperor Showa's position.

As I recall, the Japanese GOVERNMENT was pretty keen to end the war towards the end. The military wouldnt let them though.
Correct me if Im wrong, of course.

EDIT:
Also, 1.2 billion Yen? Thats what, $10,000? ;)
(couldnt help it :P)

The line between the two was a bit more blurry than you seem to imply.

However, interesting story. Makes one wonder about the possibilities...

I'm not sure why the current government should be sued for that. The government in place today does not have any relation to the wartime government. Furthermore, stating that the government should have known the war was lost and should have surrendered earlier is foolish. The mentality of people at that time was quite different, Tojo obviously was not rational. Rational people do not go to war with the United States.

I'm not sure why the current government should be sued for that. The government in place today does not have any relation to the wartime government.

Well, the head of state remained the same after the war, no?

Well, the head of state remained the same after the war, no?
Well, no. The Emperor is not the head of state (currently).

Well, no. The Emperor is not the head of state (currently).

Yeah, but Hirohito only died int he 80's. He was Emperor for a longass time.

Yeah, but Hirohito only died int he 80's. He was Emperor for a longass time.
Yes, but the current constitution stripped the Emperor of everything. He serves as the symbol of the State, but he is not the head of state or government.

That's actually been a large fight in Japan for quite a bit.

Well, no. The Emperor is not the head of state (currently).

I read up on it, and that arrangement is certainly unique. I didn't realise the emperor only de facto filled that role.

I read up on it, and that arrangement is certainly unique. I didn't realise the emperor only de facto filled that role.
The US wanted to make sure that the Emperor didn't get into trouble again.

This means that the Imperial family walks a very difficult tightrope where anything that they say that might constitute a political opinion is forbidden (and when it happens, causes a lot of comment).