Paper short abstract:

This paper sheds light on the cultural activities of Japanese POWs in the Soviet Union after World War II. The prisoners had the opportunity to engage in activities such as singing, drawing, and acting, which were also used as propaganda tools to spread communist ideologies.

Paper long abstract:

On September 2, 1945, the Japanese Imperial Army surrendered to the Allied Powers. For thousands of soldiers, this meant the end of a long war and the return home. But some unfortunate individuals remained prisoners of the Soviet Union. It is estimated that between 500,000 and 800,000 former Japanese soldiers were taken to Siberia as captives to undertake forced labour and re-build the country. Around 63,000 died in Soviet captivity, which corresponds to a mortality rate of 10%. Soviet camp documents show that most of the detainees were released until late 1949, but the last soldiers did not return to Japan until 1956. Today, more than 2000 documents from Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union have been written and published over a period of 70 years. The written testimonies show clearly how cultural activities, such as singing in choirs, sports, drawing, and theater were important for captives: It helped to ensure that the inmates did not lose hope, and in many cases, it was also a welcomed distraction from the forced labor work.

Although the cultural activities were partly initiated by the detainees themselves, Soviet authorities also planned some as “cultural education measures” to indoctrinate the Japanese. These measures included critical examinations of the emperor system of Japan through discussion groups to promote “pro-democracy” and “anti-imperial” views. One example of such thoughts is recorded in a Soviet song book for Japanese prisoners, smuggled out by a former soldier, Nīzaki Shōki, after his release. A talented accordion player, Nīzaki was given a songbook by Soviet lager personnel during his imprisonment. Upon his release, he hid the book inside an accordion fold and brought it back to Japan. It includes 71 propaganda songs, as well as illustrations inspired by Soviet communist motives.

Using examples such as the afore-mentioned book, I would like to provide an overview of the cultural activities the Japanese prisoners engaged in and assess their significance as distractions from camp life but also as effective tools of Soviet propaganda.