Confessions of war criminals from Japan

Editor's note: To offer a clearer picture of history, the State Archives Administration released a large number of files on 45 Japanese war criminals who were tried and convicted in China after World War II. The special military tribunal of the Supreme People's Court held public trials, sentencing the criminals to eight-to-20 years prison term. China Daily is publishing abstracts of the criminals' confessions:

Yohei Kibe

Yohei Kibe was born in Oita prefecture, Japan, in 1895. In June 1921, he served as officer of the Japanese Kwantung government and chief of the finance division of the puppet Dalian civil affairs bureau. He became director-general of the social welfare department of the "Manchukuo" area in northeast China in April 1944. On Oct 26, 1945, he was arrested by the Soviet Army in Changchun.

His major offenses include:

After June 1939: As governor of the puppet Andong province, he ordered the forced labor of about 47,000 Chinese. Fifteen people died in the poor living conditions.

From 1939 to 1941: He introduced 14 so-called "Japanese pioneer immigration teams" - altogether 650 households - into Mishan, Linkou, Hulin and Baoqing counties, taking the Chinese people's land by force.

From September 1942 to March 1944: As governor of the puppet Jiandao province of the "Manchukuo," he forced 15,000 Chinese into labor to build roads for the use of the Japanese Kwantung army.

From 1942 to 1943: He conscripted 12,000 Chinese in areas under his administration. During his term of office, he forced around 12,000 Chinese men into labor annually. He also sold about 17,520 kilograms of opium to Chinese residents in areas under his administration.

Hitoshi Imayoshi

Hitoshi Imayoshi was born in Oita prefecture, Japan, in 1906. He worked in the Instruction Department of the Japanese Mukden Autonomous Government in 1932 and became the director of the police department of the puppet Longjiang province.

His major offenses include:

In August 1932: He suppressed the anti-Japanese movement by mobilizing 500 policemen and 800 members of the Self-Defense Forces, arresting six Chinese patriots 2 kilometers outside the west gate of the Changtu county seat in Liaoning province. The Chinese were killed.

From February to May 1933: He arrested about 22 anti-Japanese people in the Liangzhongqiao and Tongjiangkou areas and ordered that 14 of them be shot and killed. In the puppet Rehe Interim Government, he assisted in the production of opium to poison Chinese.

In August 1935: He arrested and beheaded a young Chinese. He later arrested another five young Chinese and killed them with a saber.

In 1943: He set up a correction and instruction institution in Kangtai, Longjiang province. Patriots sent there were forced to perform labor that caused many deaths.

From February to June 1944: He arrested anti-Japanese people and sent them to prison, where some Chinese were tortured to death.