Kuniaki Koiso, former Japanese Prime Minister (from 22 July 1944 to 7 April 1945) testifies before military tribunal.

Kuniaki Koiso, former Japanese Prime Minister (from 22 July 1944 to 7 April 1945) testifies before military tribunal. He appears as a witness in his own defence before the international military tribunal for the Far East sitting in Tokyo, November 1947. Kuniaki Koiso promised Indonesia's independence in the 'near future'. After graduating from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1900 he went to the Army War College where he graduated in 1910. In 1912 he was reassigned to the Kwantung Army and returned to the Army General Staff Headquarters in 1915. Koiso became Vice-Minister of War and subsequently Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army in 1932. Three years later he assumed command of the Korean Army and was promoted full general in November 1937. He was appointed Governor-General of Korea from May 1942 to early 1944 and after the fall of the Cabinet was chosen to serve as Prime Minister. Here he faced strong opposition from both the senior military officials who wanted to prosecute the war until the bitter end and the civilian ministers who favored making peace. As Prime Minister he was unable to impose his will upon the military and was excluded from military decision making. It seems doubtful that his promise to the Indonesian nationalists was widely approved of in the Japanese government of the time. He resigned in April 1945 when American forces invaded Okinawa and his demand to be included in military discussions was rejected. He was succeeded by Suzuki Kantaro. After the Japanese surrender Koiso was arrested by SCAP and convicted as a class-A war criminal sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in Sugamo prison in 1950.