Tokyo Rose (alternative spelling Tokio Rose) was a name given by Allied troops in the South Pacific during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

to all female English-speaking radio broadcasters of

Japanese propaganda In Japan, like in most other countries, propaganda has been a significant phenomenon during the 20th century. Propaganda activities in Japan have been discussed as far back as the Russo-Japanese War of the first decade of the 20th century. Propaga ...

. The programs were broadcast in the South Pacific and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

to demoralize Allied forces abroad and their families at home by emphasizing troops' wartime difficulties and military losses.Berg, Jerome S. ''The Early Shortwave Stations: A Broadcasting History Through 1945''. Jefferson: McFarland, 2013. ''CREDO Reference''. Web. Retrieved 5 March 2017. p.205. Several female broadcasters operated using different aliases and in different cities throughout the territories occupied by the

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

, including

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

, and

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

. The name "Tokyo Rose" was never actually used by any Japanese broadcaster, but it first appeared in U.S. newspapers in the context of these radio programs during 1943. During the war, Tokyo Rose was not any one individual, but rather a group of largely unassociated women working for the same propagandist effort throughout the Japanese Empire. In the years soon after the war, the character "Tokyo Rose" – whom the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

(FBI) now avers to be "mythical" – became an important symbol of Japanese villainy for the United States. American cartoons, movies, and propaganda videos between 1945 and 1960 tend to portray her as sexualized, manipulative, and deadly to American interests in the South Pacific, particularly by revealing intelligence of American losses in radio broadcasts. Similar accusations concern the propaganda broadcasts of

Lord Haw-Haw Lord Haw-Haw was a nickname applied to William Joyce, who broadcast Nazi propaganda to the UK from Germany during the Second World War. The broadcasts opened with "Germany calling, Germany calling", spoken in an affected upper-class English acc ...

and

Axis Sally Axis Sally was the generic nickname given to women radio personalities who broadcast English-language propaganda on behalf of the European Axis Powers during World War II. These included: * Mildred Gillars, a German-American who broadcast for Ge ...

, and in 1949 the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' described Tokyo Rose as the "

Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed ...

of radio". Tokyo Rose ceased to be merely a symbol during September 1945 when

Iva Toguri D'Aquino Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino ( ja, 戸栗郁子アイバ; July 4, 1916 – September 26, 2006) was a Japanese-American disc jockey and radio personality who participated in English-language radio broadcasts transmitted by Radio Tokyo to Allied t ...

, a Japanese-American

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...

for a propagandist radio program, attempted to return to the United States. Toguri was accused of being the "real" Tokyo Rose, arrested, tried, and became the seventh person in U.S. history to be convicted of

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. Toguri was eventually paroled from prison in 1956, but it was more than twenty years later that she received an official

presidential pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...

for her role in the war.

Iva Toguri and ''The Zero Hour''

Although she broadcast using the name "Orphan Ann", Iva Toguri has been known as "Tokyo Rose" since her return to the United States in 1945. An American citizen and the daughter of Japanese immigrants, Toguri traveled to Japan to tend to a sick aunt just prior to the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

. Unable to leave the country when war began with the United States, unable to stay with her aunt's family as an American citizen, and unable to receive any aid from her parents who were placed in

internment camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

in Arizona, Toguri eventually accepted a job as a part-time typist at

Radio Tokyo , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestria ...

(NHK). She was quickly recruited as a broadcaster for the 75-minute propagandist program '' The Zero Hour'', which consisted of skits, news reports, and popular American music. According to studies conducted during 1968, of the 94 men who were interviewed and who recalled listening to ''The Zero Hour'' while serving in the Pacific, 89% recognized it as "propaganda", and less than 10% felt "demoralized" by it. 84% of the men listened because the program had "good entertainment," and one

G.I. G.I. are initials used to describe the soldiers of the United States Army and airmen of the United States Air Force and general items of their equipment. The term G.I. has been used as an initialism of "Government Issue", "General Issue", or " ...

remarked, " ts of us thought she was on our side all along." After

ended in 1945, the U.S. military detained Toguri for a year before releasing her due to lack of evidence. Department of Justice officials agreed that her broadcasts were "innocuous". But when Toguri tried to return to the United States, an uproar ensued because

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...

(a powerful broadcasting personality) and the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

lobbied relentlessly for a trial, prompting the

(FBI) to renew its investigation of Toguri's wartime activities. Her 1949 trial resulted in a conviction on one of eight counts of treason. In 1974, investigative journalists found that important witnesses had asserted that they were forced to lie during testimony. They stated that FBI and US occupation police had coached them for more than two months about what they should say on the stand, and that they had been threatened with treason trials themselves if they did not cooperate. U.S. President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

pardoned Toguri in 1977 based on these revelations and earlier issues with the indictment.

Tokyo Mose

Walter Kaner Walter Kaner (May 5, 1920 – June 26, 2005) was an American journalist, radio personality and philanthropist. He broadcast using the name ''Tokyo Mose'' during and after World War II. Kaner broadcast on U.S. Army Radio, at first to offer comic re ...

(May 5, 1920 – June 26, 2005) was a journalist and radio personality who broadcast using the name ''Tokyo Mose'' during and after World War II. Kaner broadcast on U.S. Army Radio, at first to offer comic rejoinders to the propaganda broadcasts of Tokyo Rose and then as a parody to entertain U.S. troops abroad. In U.S.-occupied Japan, his jingle was sung to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down" and became so popular with Japanese children and G.I.s that the U.S. military's '' Stars and Stripes'' newspaper called it "the Japanese occupation theme song." In 1946,

Elsa Maxwell Elsa Maxwell (May 24, 1883 – November 1, 1963) was an American gossip columnist and author, songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality and professional hostess renowned for her parties for royalty and high society figures of her day. Max ...

referred to Kaner as "the breath of home to unknown thousands of our young men when they were lonely."

Popular culture

Tokyo Rose has been the subject of songs, movies, and documentaries: *1945: The Mr. Hook propaganda cartoon ''Tokyo Woes'', directed by

Bob Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the '' Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows '' ...

and featuring Seaman Hook. The cartoon's titular character (voiced by an uncredited

Sara Berner Sara Berner (born Lillian Ann Herdan; January 12, 1912 – December 19, 1969) was an American actress. Known for her expertise in dialect and characterization, she began her career as a performer in vaudeville before becoming a voice actress for r ...

) is a parody of Tokyo Rose broadcasts. Tokyo Rose is portrayed as an overly enthusiastic, crooked-toothed Japanese woman speaking on a propaganda broadcast with a loud voice and an American accent. When she criticizes war bonds, Seaman Hook fires a projectile from a naval gun to blow up Japan. *1945: Tokyo Rose "Voice of Truth", five-minute film short produced by the

U.S. Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

to promote public support of the 7th war loan. *1946: ''Tokyo Rose'', movie drama directed by

Lew Landers Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director. Biography Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...

Lotus Long Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

played "Tokyo Rose", a "seductive jap traitress";

Byron Barr Byron Barr (August 18, 1917 – November 3, 1966), sometimes billed as Byron S. Barr, was an American actor. He appeared in 19 films from 1944 to 1951. Barr perhaps is best known for his role as Nino Zachetti in '' Double Indemnity'', his firs ...

played the G.I. protagonist sent to kidnap her. *1949: In the musical " South Pacific", sailors mention getting "advice from Tokyo Rose" in the song "

There is Nothin' Like a Dame "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" (for 4 part male voices, 2 tenors and 2 basses) is one of the songs from the 1949 musical '' South Pacific''. The song was written by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is widely popular in the ...

". *1957: The Hollywood service comedy "Joe Butterfly", about U.S. military journalists in Japan just after World War II, includes a fictionalized subplot about the search for the "real" Tokyo Rose. *1957: In the movie ''

The Bridge on the River Kwai ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'' is a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle. Although the film uses the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–1943, th ...

'', a Tokyo Rose broadcast is briefly heard on the demolition team's portable radio. *1958: In the movie ''

Run Silent, Run Deep ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' is a novel by Commander (later Captain) Edward L. Beach Jr. published in 1955 by Henry Holt & Co. The story describes World War II submarine warfare in the Pacific Ocean, and deals with themes of vengeance, endurance, c ...

'' a Tokyo Rose broadcast detailed ships and sailors lost at sea based on information gained from trash jettisoned by U.S. submarines. *1959: In the movie ''

Operation Petticoat ''Operation Petticoat'' is a 1959 American World War II submarine comedy film in Eastmancolor from Universal-International, produced by Robert Arthur, directed by Blake Edwards, that stars Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. The film tells in fla ...

'' a Tokyo Rose broadcast warns the crew of a U.S. submarine to surrender. *1960:

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

makes a brief reference to Tokyo Rose in the episode titled, "Stranger in Town".

Andy Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...

is trying to persuade his deputy,

Barney Fife Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Car ...

, that he's being unreasonably suspicious of the stranger in town. "Say, do you reckon he could be a foreign spy?" Barney asks. Andy replies, "He don't sound foreign to me." Barney says, "They learn to talk better than any of us! Remember Tokyo Rose?" *1969: ''The Story of "Tokyo Rose"'', CBS-TV and WGN radio documentary written and produced by

Bill Kurtis Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940), is an American television journalist, television producer, narrator, and news anchor. Kurtis was studying to become a lawyer in the 1960s, when he was asked to fill in on a tempora ...

. *1974: UK rock band Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers recorded a song named "Tokyo Rose" for their album ''Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers''. *1976: ''Tokyo Rose'', CBS-TV documentary segment on ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...

''. *1976: "Harbor Lights", a successful song by

Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. An early bandmate of Steve Miller in The Ardells and the Steve Miller Band, he began his solo career in 1969, though he lacked a major hit until h ...

on his album ''

Silk Degrees ''Silk Degrees'' is the seventh solo album by Boz Scaggs, released on Columbia Records in February 1976. The album peaked at No. 2 and spent 115 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200. It has been certified five times platinum by the RIAA and remains Sc ...

'', begins with the line "Son of a Tokyo Rose, I was bound to wander from home". *1977: "Tokyo Rose," title of a song by American metal band

Riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

(now known as Riot V) as part of their first album, " Rock City." The band would also go on to reference Tokyo Rose in several other songs, such as " Feel the Same," and "

The Land of the Rising Sun The word ''Japan'' is an exonym, and is used (in one form or another) by many languages. The Japanese names for Japan are Nippon () and Nihon (). They are both written in Japanese using the kanji . During the third-century CE Three Kingdoms perio ...

." *1978: Dutch rock band

Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...

released a song entitled "Tokyo Rose" on their album ''

Focus con Proby ''Focus con Proby'' is the seventh studio album by the Dutch rock band Focus, released in 1977 on EMI Records. It features five tracks with vocals from American singer P. J. Proby. The record also features guitarists Eef Albers and Philip Catheri ...

''. *1984: Italo-disco group City-O' released a song entitled "Rose of Tokyo". *1985: Canadian rock band

Idle Eyes Idle Eyes is a Canadian rock and roll band from Vancouver, British Columbia. They are best known for the Canadian hit single "Tokyo Rose", which peaked at #16 on '' RPMs Canadian singles chart in June 1985. There is also a Hardcore band from A ...

had a Top 20 success in their homeland with the song "Tokyo Rose" from their self-titled debut album. The song's narrator addresses his lover, saying she "tells a story like Tokyo Rose". *1987: American heavy metal band ''Shok Paris'' released the song "Tokyo Rose" on their 1987 album ''Steel and Starlight''. It's about a lonely G.I. who fell in love with the propaganda broadcaster during the war, and remembers her voice many years later. *1988: Canadian singer-songwriter

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

mentions "Tokyo Rose on the radio" in her song "The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms)" on the album ''

Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm ''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm'' is the 13th studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1988. It was her third for Geffen Records. The album features various duets with guest artists such as Peter Gabriel on "My Secr ...

''. *1989: American composer and musician

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle'' and for his collaborations with ...

released a concept album titled ''

Tokyo Rose Tokyo Rose (alternative spelling Tokio Rose) was a name given by Allied troops in the South Pacific during World War II to all female English-speaking radio broadcasters of Japanese propaganda. The programs were broadcast in the South Pacific ...

'', on the subject of American and Japanese relations. *1992: In season 7 episode 5 ("Where's Charlie?") of the American television situation comedy ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'': terminally naive

Rose Nylund Rose Nylund is a character from the sitcom television series ''The Golden Girls'' and its spin-off, '' The Golden Palace''. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years, totalling 204 episodes. Rose was supposed to be played by Rue McClanahan, ...

mistakenly believes her roommate

Blanche Devereaux Blanche Devereaux is a character from the sitcom television series '' The Golden Girls'', and its spin-off ''The Golden Palace''. Blanche was portrayed by Rue McClanahan for 8 years and 204 episodes across the two series. The charact ...

's beau has left Blanche for Tokyo Rose. *1995: ''Tokyo Rose: Victim of Propaganda'', A&E Biography documentary, hosted by

Peter Graves Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 ...

, available on VHS (AAE-14023). *1997: the

Vigilantes of Love Vigilantes of Love is an American rock band fronted by Bill Mallonee, with many secondary players drawn from the musician pool in and around Athens, Georgia, United States. In its later manifestations in the later 1990s and early 2000s, Mallone ...

released the song "Tokyo Rose" on their album ''Slow Dark Train''. *2002: Japanese band Cali Gari released the song "Tokyo Rose au Monde Club" on their album ''

Dai 7 Jikkenshitsu Dai 7 Jikkenshitsu is the first major label album of the band Cali Gari.''Review at C ...

''. *2010: In his dissent from Justice Stevens remarked: "''If taken seriously, our colleagues' assumption that the identity of a speaker has ''no'' relevance to the Government's ability to regulate political speech would lead to some remarkable conclusions. Such an assumption would have accorded the propaganda broadcasts to our troops by "Tokyo Rose" during World War II the same protection as speech by Allied commanders''". *2011: American country-rockabilly band Whiskey Kill, released the song "Tokyo Rose", the initial track for their debut album ''Pissed Off Betty''.

Other uses

The first registered rock group using the name Tokyo Rose was formed in the summer of 1980. They are most known for their video which tells the story of the war time Tokyo Rose.

is also the name of an emo/pop band hailing from New Jersey. In 2019, Burnt Lemon Theatre brought the musical theatre production Tokyo Rose to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and New Diorama Theatre. An extended version toured in 2021 in several UK cities, accompanied by the release of a cast album.

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Veterans Remember "Tokyo Rose" Oral History Project
(University of Montana Archives) * "The Zero Hour" show with Tokyo Rose in 1944 at The

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

br>

"Zero Hour" broadcasts
archived at EarthStation1.com
"Zero Hour" broadcast
(excerpt) and commentary by Iva Toguri D'Aquino ("Orphan Ann") in 1945, at YouTube.com
F.B.I. file on Tokyo Rose
at vault.fbi.gov * " The Zero Hour (Japanese radio series), The Zero Hour" show 8-14-1944, music with "Ann the Orphan,"

, a Japanese-American dubbed "Tokyo Rose" by the American military ** {{Citation, last=Federal Communications Commission. Foreign Broadcast Intelligence Service, title=Zero Hour, 08-14-1944 (Tokyo Rose), date=1944-08-14, url=https://archive.org/details/ZeroHour08141944, access-date=2017-05-14 * "Tokyo Woes"- Voice of Mel Blanc (of

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...

fame) in this

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

. Because they wanted to keep this a secret, all original negatives were destroyed shortly after release. American expatriates in Japan American radio DJs Anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States Collective pseudonyms Japan–United States relations Japanese people of World War II Race-related controversies in radio Women in war in East Asia Women in World War II American women radio presenters Nicknames Nicknames in radio