当会の目的

「市ヶ谷記念館」とは、防衛省庁舎B棟西側にある施設です。本記念館として遺された旧一号館大講堂は、極東国際軍事裁判（以下、東京裁判）法廷の遺構であり、平成10（1998）年、防衛省（当時は防衛庁）が港区桧町から新宿区市谷本村町の現在地に移転する際、旧一号館保存運動がおきた結果、市ヶ谷台の現在の場所に旧一号館のうちで大講堂や陸軍大臣室（陸軍士官学校校長室）など主要部分を移設、復原したものです。

 　現在、防衛省は本記念館を中心に見学ツアーを実施していますが、現行の展示は東京裁判の歴史的重要性を伝える内容とは言えません。市ヶ谷台旧一号館保存運動の目的及び、その運動の結果、参院本会議で採択された「歴史が刻まれた建造物としての旧一号館の保存に関する請願」（1994年）の趣旨が東京裁判の歴史的重要性にあったことは明白であり、これを踏まえると本記念館の現状は誠に遺憾な事態です。

 　2010年11月21日、ドイツ連邦共和国は「ニュルンベルク国際軍事裁判」法廷上階に「ニュルンベルク裁判記念館　Memorium Nuremberg Trials」を建設しました。同館では実際に使用された被告席や当時の映像資料のみならず東京裁判の展示もあります。その開館式典では独外相は「過去を知らずして、過去から未来のために学ぶことはできない」と述べ、世界史上で重要な役割を果たした裁判をその現場で後世に伝えていく意義を強調したと伝えられています。このようなドイツの姿勢を鑑みるとき、なお一層、私たちは本記念館の現状を座視することができません。

 　本記念館を構成している旧一号館大講堂は、戦前、陸軍士官学校、大本営陸軍部等に使用された第一級の「戦争遺跡」でもあります。「防衛庁の市ヶ谷移転」で消滅する運命であったにもかかわらず、保存運動により奇跡的に生き残ることができたのです。先の大戦の「裁き」を受けた場所が、現役の軍事中枢である＜防衛省＞構内に現存するという事実は、世界でも類例がありません。歴史的、文化的、政治的にも見ても貴重な施設です。 2018年は東京裁判判決70周年に当たります。私たちは、「市ヶ谷記念館」の展示内容をその歴史的重要性に相応しいものに変更し、有効活用を図るために、以下の6項目を防衛省当局に要求します。

 １）極東国際軍事裁判（以下、東京裁判）の裁判官、検察官、弁護人、被告人の肖像写真とそのプロフィールを館内に展示すること。

 ２）極東国際軍事裁判所憲章などを含め、裁判の経過を図示し、その中で検察官の主張、弁護人の主張、被告人の主張、裁判官の判決を館内に展示すること。

 ３）東京裁判に関する内外の公刊資料を収集し、館内に展示すること。

 ４）東京裁判に関する映像資料（記録映像）を館内で上映すること。

 ５）「市ヶ谷記念館」設立の由来に、歴史が刻まれた建造物としての旧一号館の保存に関する請願採択（平成６年１月）がなされたことを明記すること。

 ６）大講堂内に当時の法廷を復原すること。

                                                                                                                                                                                      以上

The Ichigaya Memorial refers to the facility on the western side of the government office building’s Block B at the Ministry of Defense. The grand auditorium of former Building No. 1 – which is preserved today as the Ichigaya Memorial – formerly housed the courtroom of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (hereafter the Tokyo Trial). The main components of former Building No. 1, such as the grand auditorium and the Office of the Minister of the Army (which also served as the Office of the Principal of the Military Academy), were moved and restored at the present location at Ichigaya-dai as a result of the movement for the building’s preservation, which occurred in connection with the relocation of the Ministry of Defense (then the Defense Agency) from Hinoki-chō, Minato-ku, to Honmura-chō, Shinjuku-ku, in 1998.

The Ministry of Defense currently offers tours of the Ichigaya Memorial; however, the tours do not adequately convey the historical significance of the Tokyo Trial. This is highly unfortunate considering that the purpose of the preservation movement and the intent of the “Petition regarding the Preservation of Former Building No. 1 as a Historic Building,” which was adopted at the plenary session of the Upper House (1994), clearly focused on the historical significance of the Tokyo Trial.

In November 21, 2010, the Federal Republic of Germany established “Memorium Nuremberg Trials” on the upper floor of the court building of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. The Memorium not only showcases the defendants’ seats and footage from the Nuremberg Trials but also maintains an exhibit on the Tokyo Trial. During its opening ceremony, the German foreign minister reportedly stated that “whoever does not know the past cannot take from it any lessons for the future,” and emphasized the important role that the Memorium can play in conveying the history of the trials to future generations. Considering the proactive stance of the German government, we feel it necessary to make a renewed push for the revision of the historical display at the Ichigaya Memorial.

The grand auditorium of former Building No. 1, i.e. the Ichigaya Memorial, is also a first-class “war-related site (sensō iseki)” in that it had served as the Military Academy and the Army Department of Imperial Headquarters before and during the war. It was initially fated for destruction at the time of the relocation of the Defense Agency to Ichigaya-dai, but it serendipitously survived owing to the efforts of the preservation movement. Today, the Ichigaya Memorial is a unique example of a place where historical justice for World War II was meted out now being preserved on the very precinct of an active-duty military hub such as the Ministry of Defense. This is a valuable structure from the standpoints of history, culture, and politics. The year 2018 marked the seventieth anniversary of the conclusion of the Tokyo Trial. In order that the displays of the Ichigaya Memorial Exhibit appropriately convey the historical significance of the building and that the exhibit be put to constructive use, we demand the Ministry of Defense to take the following six actions:

1.           To display inside the building the portraits and biographies of the judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and defendants at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.

2.           To display inside the building an illustration of court proceedings, showing the prosecution’s contention, the defense’s contention, and the judges’ opinions. Items such as the Charter of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East should also be included in the display.

3.           To collect records on the Tokyo Trial published in Japan as well as overseas, and to display them inside the building.

4.           To screen inside the building the video recording (documentary recording) concerning the Tokyo Trial.

5.           To indicate clearly in the explanation of the origin of the Ichigaya Memorial that the “Petition regarding the Preservation of Former Building No. 1 as a Historic Building” was adopted (January 1994).

6.           To restore in the grand auditorium the courtroom as it had appeared at the time of the trial.