This book documents for the first time previously hidden Japanese atrocities in World War II, including cannibalism; the slaughter and starvation of prisoners of war; the rape, enforced prostitution, and murder of noncombatants; and biological warfare experiments.The author describes how desperate Japanese soldiers consumed the flesh of their own comrades killed in fighting as well as that of Australians, Pakistanis, and Indians. Another chapter traces the fate of 65 shipwrecked Australian nurses and British soldiers who were shot or stabbed to death by Japanese soldiers. Thirty-two other nurses, who landed on another island, were captured and sent to Sumatra to become “comfort women”—prostitutes for Japanese soldiers. Tanaka recounts how thousands of Australian and British POWs died in the infamous Sandakan camp in the Borneo jungle in 1945. Those who survived were forced to endure a tortuous 160-mile march on which anyone who dropped out of line was immediately shot. Only six escapees lived to tell the tale.Based on exhaustive research in previously closed archives, this book represents a landmark analysis of Japanese war crimes. The author explores individual atrocities in their broader social, psychological, and institutional milieu and places Japanese behavior during the war in the broader context of the dehumanization of men at war—without denying individual and national responsibility.

Suggested Book Club Questions for Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes In World War II (Transitions--Asia and Asian America) (Fiction)

The following book club questions provide a starting point for creating a reading group discussion on Hidden Horrors:

• Did Yuki Tanaka emphasize any specific themes throughout Hidden Horrors? What do you think Yuki Tanaka is trying to explain with this theme?
• What was unique about the setting of Hidden Horrors and how did it affect the storyline?
• Could you relate to any of the characters? If so, which ones and why?
• How do characters change or learn throughout Hidden Horrors? What events caused these changes? Have you or someone you know experienced the same thing?
• How does Hidden Horrors reveal Yuki Tanaka's own perspectives about people and the world? For a lively discussion, describe why you think Yuki Tanaka is liberal or conservative.
• Did certain parts of Hidden Horrors affect you emotionally? Why did it evoke those emotions?
• Did Yuki Tanaka's point of view on things lend new perspective to your own view of the world?

Suggested Book Club Questions for Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes In World War II (Transitions--Asia and Asian America) (Non-fiction)

The following book club questions provide a starting point for creating a reading group discussion on Hidden Horrors:

• Did Yuki Tanaka make persuasive arguments in Hidden Horrors? Did Hidden Horrors change or reinforce your opinion on the subject?
• What did you learn from Hidden Horrors?
• How does Yuki Tanaka present the information and did you enjoy it?
• How is Yuki Tanaka biased within Hidden Horrors? Is there a political slant to what is being discussed and how does it impact the book?
• What, if anything, does Hidden Horrors make you want to read next? Why?