Q 01/05

A dentist secretly drilled a Pearl Harbor taunt into Hideki Tojo's prison dentures in which form?

A) Braille dots

B) Roman numerals

C) Morse code

D) Mirror writing

Answer · why

C) Morse code

Morse code spelled out a three-word reminder of Pearl Harbor; the dentist feared a court-martial for plain lettering, and it was removed after three m...

Q 02/05

Which emperor appointed General Hideki Tojo prime minister of Japan weeks before Pearl Harbor?

A) Hirohito

B) Mutsuhito

C) Yoshihito

D) Akihito

Answer · why

A) Hirohito

Hirohito chose Tojo over an imperial prince, reasoning that a royal premier would stain the throne if a war with the West were lost.

Q 03/05

What became of Hideki Tojo's ashes, according to US Army papers made public in 2021?

A) Buried at the prison

B) Returned to his widow

C) Shipped to Washington

D) Scattered at sea

Answer · why

D) Scattered at sea

Scattered at sea: a US Army plane dropped the ashes about 30 miles east of Yokohama on the day of the execution, and their fate stayed a mystery for d...

Q 04/05

Which nickname did Hideki Tojo earn in the army for his legalistic mind and quick decisions?

A) Hammer

B) Razor

C) Viper

D) Anvil

Answer · why

B) Razor

Razor, or Kamisori in Japanese, suited a man who boasted that his only hobby was his work and who took paperwork home to labor late into the night.

Q 05/05

How did Hideki Tojo try to avoid arrest when American soldiers surrounded his house in 1945?

A) Swallowed a cyanide capsule

B) Cut his stomach open

C) Shot himself in the chest

D) Set his house ablaze

Answer · why

C) Shot himself in the chest

Tojo shot himself in the chest but missed his heart, and as he bled he told two Japanese reporters he was sorry it was taking him so long to die.