The confessions of Japanese war criminal Keiji Saganaka

According to the written confession of Keiji Saganaka in November 1954, he was born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan in 1916. He was stationed in Sanjiang County of the “Manchukuo” in April 1937. After July 1938, he successively served as second lieutenant and infantry platoon leader, lieutenant and company commander, police captain, acting battalion commander and battalion commander. After Japan’s surrender, he served in Yan Xishan’s troops as major general and chief of staff, and regiment commander, etc. He was arrested in April 1949.

Major offences:

File photo of Keiji Saganaka

27 July 1938: following the order of the battalion commander of “kill well with saber”, took part in the killing of captives from the Eighth Route Army. “I killed a peasant-like person aged around 40 with saber”;

26 October 1938: when making attacks from Nangong County to Xinhe County, “I cut off with saber one arm of a young local resident who was hiding in a hollow”;

May 1940: in Shenchi County, “shot dead three militiamen in plain clothes”, “shot dead outside the south gate of Bajiaobao two militiamen, who were captured by the Company in a place near Dayanbei Township,”;

July 1940: captured 12 local inhabitants from areas around Zhujiachuan and interrogated them with torture, and then “stabbed 8 of them to death and shot dead the other 4”; in addition, also “captured about 70 inhabitants in areas around Xinggongyan, buried 30 of them waist-high, and shot them dead with machine guns in a place about 1,000 meters to the east of Xinggongyan”; Surgeon Lieutenant Izumi and Health Sergeant Jyoda of the Headquarters also jointly “killed through vivisection” a severely sick soldier in the sanatorium of the Eighth Route Army;

September 1940: while fighting with the Eighth Route Army in the counter-attack of the Great Campaign with One Hundred Regiments in Renjia Village, “Commander Kato Yuki of the Third Company captured 20 local villagers and shot all of them dead in Ninghuabao”;

Late September 1941: while commanding the attack on Wangjiagou, ordered that “Any inhabitant who tries to flee the Japanese army is an enemy. Kill them all! The result of shooting was injuring 7 inhabitants”; “In Dongzhai Township, I indulged them with torturing 10 inhabitants and gang-raping 5 women”;

From August to mid-October 1941: the Sato Agent Team “captured and tortured about 40 residents and 20 of them were beaten, shot or stabbed to death”;

February 1942: “mopped up Majiahe Village, ordered the shooting of 3 local inhabitants”; “ordered the pursuit and attack on escaping inhabitants, killing 3 and wounding another 3 inhabitants”;

“From April 1937 to 3 September 1945, a summary of my crimes in the Japanese army committed against the Chinese people: killing a total of 831 people, including 420 male inhabitants, 14 female inhabitants, 98 militiamen, 252 soldiers of the Eighth Route Army, 38 anti-Japanese soldiers, and 9 captive soldiers.” Methods of killing: shooting, bayoneting, beheading, burning, smashing, starving and imprisoning;

“Wounded 519 people” through shooting, slashing, exploding (with landmines) and bayoneting”;

“Raped a total of 34 Chinese women”;

“Arrested a total of 112 inhabitants, and captured 368 soldiers on the battlefield, how these people were treated after being sent to the rear is not clear; also 215 inhabitants were tortured during the interrogation after their arrest or capture; in addition, 1,171 civilians were captured and forced to step on landmines, lead the way, keep the horses, carry luggage, and work for free in the construction of motorways for military use and city fortifications”;

“Used poison gas (a dozen red colored canisters) against the Eighth Route Army once in the battlefield”.