Resources

This resource page lists a selection of sources that are essential for establishing the context of war crimes committed by the members of the Japanese military organizations during World War II in Asia and the Pacific.

Japanese War History

1. Senshi sōsho (戦史叢書). This 102-volume war history series was published by the Japanese Defense Agency in 1966-1980. Available in digital format (Japanese). This series accompanies two source books that were published in 1985 and 1986. They appear as volumes 103 and 104 on the digital platform.

2. English translation of certain Senshi sōsho volumes

   • Bullard, Steven, trans. Japanese Army Operations in the South Pacific Area: New Britain and Papua Campaigns, 1942-43. Canberra, Australia: Australian War Memorial, 2007.
   • Remmelink, Willem, trans. The Invasion of the Dutch East Indies. Leiden University Press, 2015.
   • The Operations of the Navy in the Dutch East Indies and the Bay of Bengal. Leiden University Press, 2018.
   • The Invasion of the South Army Air Force Operations, and the Invasion of Northern and Central Sumatra. Leiden University Press, 2021.

3. The Japanese Monographs. The Japanese Monographs refer to reports on aspects of World War II in Asia and the Pacific compiled by the former Japanese army and naval officers under the direction of the Allied occupation forces in the aftermath of the war.

4. Hattori Takushirō. The Complete History of the Greater East Asia War. United States. War Department. Military Intelligence Service, 1953. English translation of Dai Tōa Sensō Zenshi (大東亜戦争全史), published by Masu shobō, 1953.

Military Dictionaries

1. A Dictionary of Military Terms: English-Japanese / Japanese-English by Lieutenant Colonel H. T. Creswell, Major J. Hiraoka, and Major R. Namba. Publication Date: 1942.

2. Japanese-English Dictionary of Sea Terms by Lt. Cdr. C. Ozaki. Publication Date: 1945.

3. Japanese Military Dictionary: Japanese-English, English-Japanese by United States War Department. Publication Date: 1944.

4. The Supplementary Japanese-English Dictionary by United States War Department. Publication Date: 1945.

5. Japanese-English Glossary, Technical Communication Terms by United States War Department. Publication Date: 1943.

6. A Glossary of Censorship and Communications Terms in Japanese, compiled by Special Overseas Planning Group, Army Service Forces, War Department, Washington, D.C. Revised and enlarged by Japanese Language School, University of Michigan. Publication Date: 1945.

7. Japanese Intelligence Symbols by United States Army Map Service. Publication Date: 1948.

Encyclopedia

1. Handbook on Japanese Military Forces by United States War Department. Publication Date: 1942.