Japanese Soldiers And Mental Trauma: Suffering Long Overlooked after Return from Battle

Editorial

13:59 JST, August 3, 2025

War continues to inflict tangible and intangible damage on individuals and society long after it has ended. The mental trauma of soldiers of the former Japanese military, which has often been overlooked, must be addressed.

During World War II, the Japanese military launched aggression against China and Southeast Asia. Many soldiers suffered deep mental scars from their harsh experiences on the battlefield, leading to neuroses and mental illnesses. At the time, the military denied the existence of such soldiers, and the truth remained hidden for many years after the war.

In reality, many veterans who returned from the battlefield were unable to build normal relationships with the people around them, as such veterans were prone to become violent toward their family or withdrawn.

Eighty years have almost passed since the end of the war, and many veterans have passed away. However, in recent years, the generation who are children of these veterans have begun to speak out about their fathers’ abnormal behavior after returning from the war and the suffering of their families.

In light of such developments, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry carried out its first survey on the psychological trauma of former Japanese soldiers last fiscal year, based on medical records and memoirs left behind by military doctors. The results of the survey are now available at the Shokei-kan, a national facility in Tokyo to convey information about the illnesses and injuries of World War II servicemen.

It is estimated that 7.85 million soldiers became ill during the last four years of the war, and about 8%, or 670,000 of them, suffered “mental illness or other neuroses.” It is significant that the government has recognized their suffering and officially acknowledged it as a serious problem.

However, the survey was limited mainly to data on soldiers who received treatment at such facilities as army hospitals during the war. It is difficult to say that the full extent of the damage that soldiers continued to suffer after returning from the war has been revealed.

Those who returned from the battlefield and struggled to reintegrate into society were called “demented from war,” among other labels. They were often denied proper treatment, facing social stigma. It is hoped that the latest survey will serve as a first step toward elucidating the behavioral and psychological factors affecting such veterans.

Research by historians, psychiatrists and other experts is also progressing. Use of their findings as a starting point to delve into the underlying causes of the issue can contribute to restoring the honor of those who suffered psychological trauma.

Many experts argue that a significant number of veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition causes psychological trauma due to extreme fear or shock, resulting in symptoms such as sudden flashbacks of painful memories that interfere with daily life.

In the United States, many Vietnam War veterans fell into such a state, and the American Psychiatric Association recognized PTSD among Vietnam War veterans in the 1980s.

The damage caused by war cannot be fully shown by such externally confirmable data such as the number of casualties or the destruction of buildings. It is essential to pass on this fact as a solemn lesson to future generations.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 3, 2025)