Then again I must put this here first: "There is no 'Tokyo Rose'; the name is strictly a GI invention. The name has been applied to at least two lilting Japanese voices on the Japanese radio. ... Government monitors listening in 24 hours a day have never heard the words 'Tokyo Rose' over a Japanese-controlled Far Eastern radio." The U.S. Office of War Information, August 1945 ----------- During World War II, a young Japanese American woman gained notoriety as "Tokyo Rose" for her broadcasts of Japanese propaganda beamed over Radio Tokyo to American troops in the South Pacific. Tokyo Rose was born Ikuko Toguri in Los Angeles on July 4, 1916. Her father, Jun Toguri, had come to the United States from Japan in 1899. Her mother followed in 1913, and the family moved to Los Angeles. During her school years, Ikuko Toguri used the first name of Iva. She attended grammar schools in Calexico and San Diego, California before returning with her family to Los Angeles where she finished grammar school, and went on to high school and junior college. Iva Toguri enrolled in the University of California at Los Angeles and graduated in January, 1940, with a degree in zoology. She did graduate work there until June of that year. During her school years, Toguri was a popular student and was considered to be a loyal American. Her favorite pastimes were sports, hiking, and swing music. From June 1940, until July 1941, Toguri assisted her father in his business. When she decided to travel to Japan, members of an honorary fraternity group to which she belonged gave her a farewell party shortly before her departure. On July 5, 1941, Toguri sailed for Japan from San Pedro, California, without a United States passport. She reportedly gave two reasons for her trip: to visit a sick aunt and to study medicine. In September of that year, Toguri appeared before the United States Vice Consul in Japan to obtain a United States passport, stating she wished to return to the United States for permanent residence. Inasmuch as she had left the United States without a passport, her application was forwarded to the United States Department of State for consideration. Before arrangements were completed for issuing a passport, the United States was at war with Japan, and no further action was taken by United States authorities with regard to her request. After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Toguri applied for repatriation to the United States through the Swiss Legation in Japan, but later withdrew the application, indicating she would voluntarily remain in Japan for the duration. Meanwhile, she had enrolled in a Japanese language and culture school. From mid-1942, until late 1943, Toguri worked as a typist for the Domei News Agency; in August, 1943, she obtained a second job as a typist for Radio Tokyo. In November 1943, Toguri began her career as a broadcaster for Radio Tokyo that was to bring her notoriety and eventually result in her conviction for treason in the United States. Her program, known as the Zero Hour, became part of Japanese psychological warfare designed to lower the morale of the United States Armed Forces. Zero Hour was broadcast daily, except Sunday, from 6 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., Tokyo time. THE ZERO HOUR Toguri was introduced on the program, which usually began with band music, as "Orphan Ann," "Orphan Annie," "Your favorite enemy Ann," or "Your favorite playmate and enemy, Ann." Following are comments reportedly made by Toguri for a program broadcast in October 1944: "Hello, boneheads. This is your favorite enemy, Ann. How are all you orphans of the Pacific? Are you enjoying yourselves while your wives and sweethearts are running around with the 4F's in the States? How do you feel now when all your ships have been sunk by the Japanese Navy? How will you get home? Here's another record to remind you of home." Toguri's average time on each program was about twenty minutes, duing which she made comments similar to the above, and introduced popular records of the day, such as "Speak to Me of Love," "In a Little Gypsy Tea Room," and "Love's Old Sweet Song." The remainder of the program was devoted chiefly to news items from America and general news commentaries by other members of the broadcasting staff. Toguri's salary at Radio Tokyo reportedly amounted to some 150 yen per month – about $7. There is no indication that Toguri ever used the nickname Tokyo Rose on the Zero Hour. It was not until early 1944 that she became aware that United States troops had given her that title. Actually, the name Tokyo Rose was applied by United States Armed Forces personnel in the South Pacific area to any of a number of English-speaking Japanese women broadcasting over Radio Tokyo between 1943 and 1945. Toguri was the only American born person given that nickname; as far as is known, the others were Japanese citizens. Reportedly, Toguri was proud of the nickname Tokyo Rose. On one occasion while she was confined in a Japanese prison after the war, Toguri autographed a Japanese yen note as Tokyo Rose for a United States military guard. On April 19, 1945, Iva Toguri married Felipe D'Aquino, a Portuguese citizen of Japanese-Portuguese ancestry. The marriage was registered with the Portuguese Consulate in Tokyo; however, Mrs. D'Aquino did not renounce her American citizenship. She continued her Zero Hour broadcast until the cessation of hostilities despite reported warnings by her husband to discontinue her role in the program. AFTER THE WAR After Japan's surrender in August 1945, United States Army authorities arrested Mrs. D'Aquino as a security risk, and she was kept in various Japanese prisons until her release in 1945. She was again arrested by Army authorities in September 1948, and brought under military escort to the United States, arriving in San Francisco on September 25, 1948. There, she was immediately arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Agents acting on authority of a warrant charging her with the crime of treason for adhering to, and giving aid and comfort to, the Imperial Government of Japan during World War II. The FBI's investigation of Mrs. D'Aquino's activities covered a period of some five years. During the course of the investigation, hundreds of former members of the United States Armed Forces who had served in the South Pacific during World War II were interviewed; forgotten Japanese documents were unearthed; and recordings of Mrs. D'Aquino's broadcasts believed to have been destroyed were discovered by the FBI. THE TRIAL Mrs. D'Aquino's trial began on July 5, 1949, the day after her 33rd birthday. Sixty-one days later,on September 29, 1949, the jury brought in a verdict of guilty of the count in the indictment which read, That on a day during October, 1944, the exact date being to the Grand Jurors unknown, said defendant, at Tokyo, Japan, in a broadcasting studio of the Broadcasting Corporation of Japan, did speak into a microphone concerning the loss of ships." Mrs. D'Aquino, who had gained notoriety as Tokyo Rose, had become the seventh person to be convicted of treason in the history of the United States. It is estimated that the trial cost the Government $500,000; the transcript of the proceedings contained over a million words. Sixteen of the Government's 46 witnesses who appeared at the trial were brought from Japan where they originally had been interviewed by the FBI. Twenty-six witnesses appeared for the defense. On October 6, 1949, Mrs. D'Aquino was sentenced in the San Francisco courtroom to ten years of imprisonment and fined $100,000 for the crime of treason. On January 28, 1956, D'Aquino was released from the Federal Reformatory for Women at Alderson, West Virginia, where she had served six years and two months of her sentence. She successfully fought government efforts to deport her. In November 1976, Mrs. D'Aquino filed another petition for Presidential Pardon; she previously had applied unsuccessfully for pardon in 1954 and 1968. On January 19, 1977, President Gerald Ford issued a pardon to her. Mrs. D'Aquino was last known to be living in the Chicago, Illinois, area. http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/rose/rose.htm http://www.earthstation1.com/Tokyo_Rose.html [ 27. May 2003, 06:19 PM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/vorose.htm Obituary: American convicted as 'Tokyo Rose' By Richard Goldstein The New York Times Published: September 27, 2006 Iva Toguri D'Aquino, the Japanese-American convicted of treason in 1949 for broadcasting propaganda from Japan to United States servicemen during World War II as the seductive but sinister Tokyo Rose, died Tuesday 26th. of September in Chicago. She was 90. Ahoy - Mac's Web Log - Battle of the Air Waves, WW2 Axis Radio Propaganda
Well, I wont be one to shed any tears over her death. I guess I'm one of those people who strongly thinks that anyone convicted of treason against their country should immediately receive the death sentence. This Obituary should have been written in 49 when she was convicted. Just how I feel.
Easy there, there's more to it than that. I recall some things that... From Wikipedia, to start some place: Now the FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation - FBI History - Famous Cases Iva Toguri d’Aquino and Tokyo Rose The Sub Vets! Quest for Tokyo Rose And I recall reading (where??) that she did inject some humour of her own that eluded her Japanese mentors whose subleties in English were more limited, but which was easily caught by the troops she was supposed to demoralise, her version of propaganda having exactly the opposite effect other than the intended one.
First off Za, Thanks for the added information. The FBI intimidating witnessess was not something I knew about the trial. However, I still feel like she was a traitor to her country and no matter how much she claimed to love her country, it won't change what she did while in Japan. It is a gut feeling and my sentiments don't change.
Za, Mike I actually had mixed feelings when I first read this thread. Part of me agreed with Mike's sentiment but another part of me tend to give her the benefit of the doubt. I couldn't help but think that she had no choice but to cooperate and do her broadcasts because of the situation she was in. Maybe all she did was survive by the day and hope for the best. Za, the things you posted mentioned that GI's actually found these broadcasts funny. Maybe the veterans in these forums can share what they thought about the broadcasts they heard. I'll ask Southwest Pac vet.
the war years would have been easier if she had "denounced" her American citizenship, which she never did. Now all posters might find this site of interest. Especially if you missed Bill Kurtis' special focusing on this unfortunate lady. Did you know she was an American citizen, educated in California, trapped in Japan while visiting her dying great aunt (I think) in '41? And forced to broadcast by the Japanese in order to get food rations? To get a little wider perspective concerning the real Iva Toguri goto: http://www.dyarstraights.com/orphan_ann/orphanan.html BTW, as already noted the name "Tokyo Rose" was an American invention and covered many females broadcasting in English on the Radio Tokyo frequency, her own on-air name was Orphan Ann (for obvious reasons as she read the Announcer spot on the broadcasts, i.e. "an(nouncer) line", and as an inexperience radio "personality" originally read the defining section written by others, where she was supposed to speak as a part of the broadcast announcer (An says: "Blah, Blah, Blah"...) and added the Orphan to "Ann" as she had been abandoned by the US in Japan in spite of her many, many attempts to get back to the shores of America, i.e. an orphan in Japan. She was given a full pardon by President Ford as well. I've been quite interested in Iva Toguri for a number of years, I was looking in my "faves" for these two sites to add. http://www.weeklywire.com/ww/01-20-98/chicago_cover.html http://www.earthstation1.com/Tokyo_Rose.html I forgot which file I had them in! The second one is especially great, 'cause if you open up the "Broadcasts" section at the bottom of the page you can actually listen to the broadcasts of "Orphan Ann". Or goto: http://www.earthstation1.com/Tokyo_Rose.html#The%20Broadcasts Iva’s is a truly sad story, an American girl born on the 4th of July, trapped in a nation on a visit to an ailing relative by the outbreak of war. Used by our enemies, persecuted by ourselves, and largely vilified incorrectly in film and story. Nothing like "Axis Sally" who went to and broadcast from Nazi Germany by choice, or "Lord Haw-Haw" another American born person, who did the same. Mildred Gillars aka "Axis Sally" was a true sympathizer with the enemy, she left America and traveled to Nazi Germany where she not only broke "rules of war" (impersonating a Red Cross worker), but broadcast truly demoralizing "false news" to the allies designed to undercut morale. Here is a short run-down on her life and times: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23000 I personally am pleased that this lady (Gillars) is buried in an unmarked grave.
Great buddy, Nice & superb info here, This is very helpful for me for the research work in world war, Cheers, Tamara, park hotel tokyo
I listened to Tokyo Rose frequently in 1944 and ‘45 . So did hundreds of thousands of others. If you could take a poll of those World War Two servicemen who served in the Pacific, and who listened to Tokyo Rose, you might be in for a surprise. I believe you’ld find that they actually enjoyed listening to Tokyo Rose. She was a novelty – an enigma – a temptress –all wrapped up in a low, soothing voice. Guys would gather around a radio in groups to listen to what crazy stuff Rosie was going to say, or predict, next. Of course, everyone enjoyed the popular, "back home" music we were all familiar with -- Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James – all the big bands — and all those great tunes we listened to and danced to in high school. (I graduated in 1942 – much to the surprise of my twelfth grade math teacher) But the best entertainment of all were Rosie’s "commercials". Nobody really took them seriously. I can’t remember anyone ever getting worked up over her ridiculous rantings and ravings about what the girlfriends back home were doing — how naive we were for allowing ourselves tobe duped into fighting for such a sinful cause – and all that stuff. Guys found it all inane, amusing -- but entertaining. And I can’t remember anyone angrily damning Rose as a "traitor". We all thought (at that time) she was a Japanese citizen – and had every reason to say what she did. After all "Voice of America" was doing the same type of morale and propaganda job on the Japanese and the Germans, and all the other bad guys. I held no animosity toward Tokyo Rose. I still don’t. There were a lot more deserving Japs that should have been put in prison besides Tokyo Rose. She was harmless. The ones with the rifles, the mortars, the machine guns, the bombs and the diving airplanes –– they were the ones you had to watch out for. vcs-ww2 . - . - .
My grandfather had a nice 'choice' four letter word that I will not repeat here. Interesting story/read, however.....
Found a "new" article on the lady, actually from the time she (Iva Toguri) was identified to the US servicemen and the US public in general. Newsmen and a handful of G.I.s at last, after three long years, got a look at the Jap radio's famed, honey-voiced Tokyo Rose. Their opinion: with television, she wouldn't have lasted. As U.S. intelligence officers had suspected, she was California-born, Jap-blooded: one Iva Toguri, a 29-year-old graduate of the University of California. She said she had left Los Angeles "to see a sick aunt" in Japan in July 1941, was stranded in Tokyo after Pearl Harbor. She was surprised at her popularity among U.S. servicemen (who liked to listen to her program of old jukebox favorites, which were intended to make G.I.s home sick) and amazed that anyone would be lieve she had done her native U.S. wrong: "I didn't think I was doing anything disloyal." According to Iva, two other girls doubled on the Zero Hour, one American, one Canadian — and if anything bad was said, they said it. The continuity was written, she said, by a Captain Charles Cousins, an Australian captured at Singapore, and a U.S. Army captain named Ince. She first went on the air as "Ann" (short for announcer), and later expanded the name to "Orphan Annie, your playmate." (She never used Tokyo Rose, the G.I. name for her. ) It was all a lie, also, she insisted, that she had opened her program by saying: "Good evening again to the . . . forgotten men, the American fighting men. . . ." The wages of sin, in her case, were 100 yen ($6.60) a month, later raised to 147 yen. Just what the punishment will be, if any, the U.S. had not yet announced. (Her defense attorneys would undoubtedly bring up the U.S. Navy's silly-season award to her for raising the morale of U.S. troops—TIME, Aug. 20.) In April she married a Portuguese employee of the Domei News Agency, and hoped that might make her a Portuguese citizen (the latest U.S. laws on the point have not been court tested, but presumably she could not renounce U.S. citizenship without the approval of the U.S.). Her brother Fred, who now helps run the family fruit stand in Chicago, said last week: "All we know is what we read in the papers. We feel we are not in a position to condemn." See: Radio: Tokyo Rose - TIME Iva certainly didn't do the job for money, but for simple survival it appears. Remember as a non-Japanese who wouldn't renounce her American citizenship, and sign a loyalty oath to the Emperor and Japan, she was refused a ration card for food purchases and had to live off the kindness of neighbors of her Aunt, who soon refused to do anything for fear of being seen as American "sympathizers".
I have a technical question about her broadcasts. How was it that American servicemen were able to listen to her? What radio frequency were the Japanese using and was it really strong enough to be heard throughout the entire Pacific theater? I'm sure it's debatable as to how much coercion was involved with influencing her to make the broadcasts, but she wasn't the only Japanese-American stuck in that type of situation during the war. For example, in Mitsuru Yoshida's Requiem for Battleship Yamato he describes how one of his crewmembers on the ship was an American citizen of Japanese descent who had been trapped in Japan on a visit when the war started. He was later forcibly drafted into the IJN. In spite of the hostilities, he was able to continue to communicate with his mother in the US by letter throughout the war (I don't know if she was interned or not). One of his brothers was serving in a US Army Nisei unit in Europe. Because of his American heritage, he was mercilessly bullied by his fellow shipmates. He died when Yamato went down.
I have no idea which frequency Radio Toyko used, only that it was a shortwave system and powerful enough to be heard all over the Pacific and even picked up in the US with certain atomspheric phenomenon. Sorry I've never looked into the frequency before, it is probably listed somewhere. Google might have a lead somewhere?
Oh, ok. If it was on shortwave I understand now how everyone could listen to it. One other question, how was the Japanese government able to obtain the latest popular music from the US during the war?
Usually from their embassies. American records would have been available in neutral countries like Switzerland, Sweden, and many South American countries.
