Name: ____________________________

Tokyo War Crimes Trials Research Project

Names for these trials:

● International Military Tribunal for the
Far East (IMTFE)
● Tokyo War Crimes Trials
● The Tokyo Trial

You are tasked with researching one of the original defendants on trial at the
IMTFE and creating a project on how their trial went and if their ultimate
punishment fit the crime. You can create this research project in any way you
choose as long as it meets the criteria (written format, PowerPoint, video, oral
presentation, poster, etc.). All information included needs to be researched from
reliable sources that are included in a bibliography.

There were 21 original defendants at the trials:

Sadao Araki, Kenji Doihara, Kingorō Hashimoto, Shunroku Hata, Kiichirō
Hiranuma, Kōki Hirota, Naoki Hoshino, Seishirō Itagaki, Okinori Kaya, Kōichi Kido,
Heitarō Kimura, Kuniaki Koiso, Iwane Matsui, Jirō Minami, Akira Mutō, Osami
Nagano, Takasumi Oka, Shūmei Ōkawa, Hiroshi Ōshima, Kenryō Satō, Mamoru
Shigemitsu, Shigetarō Shimada, Toshio Shiratori, Teiichi Suzuki, Shigenori Tōgō,
Hideki Tōjō, Yoshijiro Ume

You will need to include information on the

following in your research project:
● How did the trials come about? How were they
conducted? What were the goals of these trials?
● What did the person do during the war and
occupation? What is their legacy?
● How did they contribute to war crimes, crimes
against humanity, or genocide?
● What were they accused of?
● How did their trial go?
● What was the final result of their trial? Guilty?
Acquittal? Sentence?
● Do you believe their punishment was just? Was justice served? Why or why not?
● Ethical Judgment
○ Were the actions of the person acceptable given the values, attitudes, or
beliefs of their time? Are they considered acceptable now?
○ To what degree was this person responsible for the controversial
actions/events that took place? (think about their role in the Japanese
occupation overall)
 Name: ____________________________

Tokyo War Crimes Trials Research Project Rubric

Curricular Competency: I can… make reasoned ethical judgments about controversial actions in the past
or present after considering the context and standards of right and wrong (Ethical Judgment)

1 2 3 4

Ethical
Judgments I can…make a I can…make a I can…make an ethical I can…make a
simplistic ethical general ethical judgment about sophisticated ethical
judgment about judgment about controversial actions judgment about
controversial actions controversial actions of the past or controversial actions of
of the past or of the past or present. The the past or present. The
present. The present. The judgment is judgment is supported by
judgment is judgment is supported by my my extensive
supported by my supported by my thorough understanding of both the
over-generalized & narrow understanding of actions’ background and
even inaccurate understanding of both the actions’ the values of the time.
understanding of both the actions’ background and the
both the actions’ background and the values of the time.
background and the values of the time.
values of the time.

Content A basic or inaccurate A straightforward, A thorough A meticulous explanation

explanation of the trial mostly accurate explanation and and evaluation of the trial
is provided. explanation of the trial evaluation of the trial is provided. Information
Information included is is provided. is provided. included is well supported
supported by basic Information included Information included is by research from varied
research, but some is supported by supported by research sources, both primary and
might be from research from a few from several reliable secondary.
questionable sources. reliable sources. May sources.
rely on too few
sources.

Overall Research is beginning Research is mostly Research is organized. Research is well organized
Presentation to be organized. organized. Editing is Editing is present. for clarity and impact.
Editing and polish present. Overall Overall presentation is Editing is exceptional.
would benefit this presentation is interesting and Overall presentation is very
project greatly. Overall somewhat interesting includes some detail. interesting and includes
presentation is lacking and includes some lots of detail.
interest and/or detail. detail.

Total = /12