Yuko Tojo
Encyclopedia
is a granddaughter of General Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...

, the wartime prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

 who was hanged as a war criminal after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Tojo is a nationalist activist and political hopeful.

In May 2007, Tojo revealed her intention to run in the House of Councillors
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives...

 election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...

, pledging to work to realize the enshrinement of all of Japan's military war dead, to include war criminals whose innocence she maintains, at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...

. Her grandfather is one of the 14 Class-A war criminals
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...

 honored at the Shinto shrine. She claims the war was one of self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...

 and that it was unfair that her grandfather was judged a Class-A war criminal. She subsequently failed to be elected.

Tojo also heads a nonprofit organization working on environmental conservation.

She is a strong supporter of The Truth about Nanjing
The Truth about Nanjing
is a forthcoming film by Japanese filmmaker about the 1937 Nanking Massacre.The film, backed by nationalistic figures including Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara and public donation, is intended to expose alleged propaganda aspects of the Nanking Massacre...

, a movie in production by Japanese filmmaker Satoru Mizushima
Satoru Mizushima
is a Japanese right-wing nationalist film maker. He graduated from Waseda University majoring in German literature. He is also the main host of the nationalist and right-wing Japanese media organization, Channel Sakura, which maintains an active YouTube broadcasting account "SakuraSoTV." He can...

 that claims the 1937 Nanking Massacre
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...

 was a complete fabrication by China and the West in a propaganda war against Japan.

Quotes

"Japan did not fight a war of aggression. It fought in self-defense. Our children have been wrongly taught that their ancestors did evil things, that their country is evil. We need to give these children back their pride and confidence." (quoted in Associated Press article by Hiroko Tabuchi, June 11, 2007)

"In Japan, there are no war criminals. Every one of those enshrined at Yasukuni died fighting for their country, and we should honor them." (Quoted in Associated Press article by Hiroko Tabuchi, June 11, 2007)

"Many people, including Kyuma
Fumio Kyuma
is a Japanese politician who has served in the Diet of Japan since 1980. Kyuma graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1964 and worked for the Ministry of Agriculture...

, believe that the atomic bombs stopped Japan's 'aggression,' but Japan did not fight a war of aggression," said Tojo, who claimed the war was fought to liberate the "nonwhite" colonies in Asia from the "whites." "If there was one mistake, however, it was the fact that we lost. And if my grandfather is to blame, it's not because he started the war but because we lost." (quoted in Japan Times article, by Setsuko Kamiya, July 11, 2007)

"People think I'm a hawk, but I'm actually a dove on the torii
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...

of Yasukuni Shrine." (quoted in Japan Times article, by Setsuko Kamiya, July 11, 2007)

External links

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