How were Japanese prisoners of war treated?

Answer 1

Very badly indeed. They were starved, beaten, tortured and executed for no reason. They were made to work until they dropped dead of exhaustion. It was also based on a sense of racial superiority and on the Bushido concept that these prisoners had dishornored themselves by their very act of surrender.

Answer 2

The Japanese were not well known for their benevolent treatment of prisoners during the war. The Japanese bushido code of honor--even if there was no longer a ruling samurai-warrior class--was still revered by many Japanese, and thus anyone who would willingly surrender was beneath contempt. The Japanese were also incredibly nationalistic and extremely racist at the time so the idea that other cultures might not admire suicide--or in the case of Westerners, even condemn it--either never occurred to them or was insignificant. The war in the Pacific was also extremely racially charged on all sides. The Japanese viewed themselves in largely the same way the Germans under the Nazis were told to view the Germanic race--as the

Answer 3

The Japanese army & navy were trained to fight or die. Surrender was not an option. When prisoner's of war fell into their hands, they weren't sure what to make of it. When instructed to preserve them as prisoners (POW's)...instead of combatants or dead men, the Japanese military men had to learn by OJT (On the Job Training); which didn't make a whole lot of sense to them. For the simple reason that the enemy POW's were now CONSUMING their already limited food supply (military rations), and taking away their Infantrymen, Engineers, or Tank Crewmen, to become military guards (military policemen) over a group of ENEMY SOLDIERS who had disgraced themselves by not fighting to the death. That's what Japanese soldiers and sailors thought. Allied POW's were treated harshly, and many perished. As the war neared it's end, and the Japanese had learned over the years of fighting, the treatment improved; but a shortage of food, medicine, and good drinking water, would go on to plague both POW and Capturer alike for the rest of the war.

Answer 4

hey had no respect of the right of prisoners. In their tradition either you killed your enemy, or you died with honour. Surrender was a most cowardly act. Hence they saw POWs as trash and cowards. On contrary they would pay tribute in front of enemies who fought to their last moments.

This is similar to ancient Spartans. When a Spartan mother sending their boys to war, they usually passed them their shield and said "Either you come back with it, or you come back on it." (Spartans sent fallen soldiers on their shield.)

Answer 5

There were only a very small number of them because they often commit suicide rather than surrender. Those who were captured however were treated according to the Geneva Convention.

Answer 6

Well it depends what war but most of them were not treated very nicely but the revaluation war treated them a little better

Answer 7

Sword and bayonet.