JAPANESE EMPEROR'S PALACE STAMPEDE

After seven months in Korea, I was given an R&R week to visit Tokyo. On January 2nd 1944 two buddies and I learned that the public would be permitted to enter the palace grounds, since it was Emperor Hirohito's birthday. When we arrived at the huge parade grounds across the moat from the Palace, there were thousands of Japanese dressed in their finest clothing. I was particularly fascinated in the kimonos worn by the women and young girls. The huge crowd were pushing toward the stone bridge that crossed the moat.

My buddies became bored with the long wait and left, but I stayed to take pictures of the people and scenery. I was swept along by the crowd that was pressing toward the bridge. The pressure became intense and many women seemed greatly ill at ease. But there was no going back as the crowd pushed harder. Evidently they thought the bridge would be closed soon.

As I was a foot taller than the Japanese, it was easy for me to take pictures and see what was going on. When I was about 50 yards from the bridge, there seemed to be much excitement at the entrance. People were screamingand some were climbing up on the stone works. Eventually I could see people being pushed into a huge pile at the entrance. Then I was pushed onto the pile of people, but neither they nor I could escape due to the prssure from behind us. I was calm and confident that I was strong enough not to be injured.

The police had arrived from the other side of the bridge and were pulling the persons in the human barricade. Then those near me were able to break through and move on to the bridge. There were dozens of people laying all over the bridge entrance who had been trampled upon, some dead and/or injured. This was particularly true for the women in their tight kimonos and sandals.

I took a number of photos of this carnage. Then we were herded on across the bridge to walk past the Palace, although the Emperor was not there in the gloom to hear the people salute him with "Banzai." The next day the newpapers said that 16 had been killed and dozens injured.