Sugamo Diary

Sasakawa Ryoichi (1899-1995) was a wealthy business tycoon, statesman, nationalist leader, philanthropist, and suspected war criminal whom many have cast as a Japanese don, power broker, political fixer, and right-wing godfather. In these diaries and letters, written by Ryoichi himself, a strikingly different picture emerges, one that reveals a man fighting to live according to his convictions and within an ethical system that prioritized the well-being of Japan over all other concerns. From 1945 to 1949, Sasakawa was ... Read More

Sasakawa Ryoichi (1899-1995) was a wealthy business tycoon, statesman, nationalist leader, philanthropist, and suspected war criminal whom many have cast as a Japanese don, power broker, political fixer, and right-wing godfather. In these diaries and letters, written by Ryoichi himself, a strikingly different picture emerges, one that reveals a man fighting to live according to his convictions and within an ethical system that prioritized the well-being of Japan over all other concerns. From 1945 to 1949, Sasakawa was imprisoned in Sugamo with a host of other class-A war criminals, including Hideki Tojo. His path to incarceration was uniquely dramatic: he volunteered for indictment in order to protect the emperor and the nation rom the consequences of victor's justice. Ryoichi's human motivations are apparent in his words, along with his relentless criticism of Japan's wartime leaders. He also challenges the behavior of the Tokyo Court, warning against the adoption of a postwar Japanese communism. Ryoichi proposed instead that Japan pursue friendly relations with the West, including the United States.After his release in 1948, Ryoichi founded what is now the Nippon Foundation, a philanthropic body that became, under his leadership, Japan's largest charitable organization. Through an intimate encounter with his thoughts, struggles, and philosophy, this vibrant collection introduces one of the twentieth-century's least known but most influential figures. Read Less