World War II
Japan entered World War II when we invaded China, but upon the request of our allies we attacked America to distract their forces between Europe and the Pacific. Japan had an early advantage of planning before the Pearl Harbor attack, but Japan had truly awakened a sleeping giant. America pushed Japan back from all the islands that we had conquered and fortified on in our Pacific campaign. (Shown Right) America pushed us back into our mainland, and after dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we surrendered. Japan was the final axis power to be defeated in World War II, and one of the most difficult. Japan took many prisoners of war during World War II, men from Australia, America, China, and many other countries that opposed them.
POW Camps
POW (Prisoner of War) camps were used throughout Japan to control and house the many POWs taken by Japan. They were on the whole a harsh and unforgiving atmosphere, full of malnourishment, abuse, beatings, slavery, and depression. POWs tried many things to raise their morale, often stealing or joking. Guards often beat the POWs in hopes to destroy their pride, self-worth, and sometimes to stop the jokes played on them.