Breaking barriers: the diversity of prisoner-of-war camps in Japan and Australian contacts with Japanese civilians

Abstract

Many generalisations and stereotypes persist regarding the experiences of Australian prisoners of the Japanese. In some places - Sandakan, Burma, Thailand and Ambon - conditions and treatment of prisoners were truly horrendous. But conditions in other camps could be better. Historians have largely overlooked the experiences of Australian prisoners who journeyed to Japan. However, not only do the camps in Japan illustrate how diverse were the experiences of prisoners but also they brought Australians into contact with ordinary Japanese civilians - Japanese who were not members of the military.