This is a very interesting book about Japan's Intelligence School to train spies and saboteurs for war. It covers the time from the start of the school on through the end of the war and afterwards. I'll note a few of the most interesting things.
Even though Japan lost WWII, many of the countries of Asia did benefit somewhat from their actions, as growing independence movements helped free many countries from the “ownership” by Western nations like England, the Netherlands, etc.
One of the purposes of the Nakano school was to help control any domestic opposition to the war. Japan was at the time under very, very strict censorship, and almost everything the public had available as far as information goes was controlled by the government which gave the civilians only what they wanted to give them as far as information went. Those who choose to speak out against the government were dealt with harshly, if not permanently.
Some of the things the students at the school studied were ideology, propaganda and intelligence theory. They also studied the activities of Lawrence of Arabia. Other subjects included pharmacology, psychology, aviation and marine navigation.
They were also taught how to use bacteria to poison the wells of a city.
A lot of people in Latin America were happy when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
One early idea was to present Japan's efforts in other countries as helping to free them from Western colonialism.
Trying to get enemy troops to surrender and broadcasting false information were two other things the school graduates did.
There were plans for an actual invasion by Japan of northeast India.
The book talks about how things changed over time, and how the school graduates were to help Japan make its last stand, assuming the U.S. actually invaded Japan itself. They helped prepare civilians for attacking U.S. troops.
The book tells how young girls and boys were prepared for aiding the war effort. Other preparations for war are discussed.
Atrocities against American fliers are discussed.
The book also has a whole lot more in it.
Main Index
Japan main page
Japanese-American Internment Camps index page
Japan and World War II index page
