Int. Note: Regarding the Newspaper Coverage of the Trial
For the next section, I will provide you with the serialized coverage of the Oda Trial that ran in many newspapers throughout Japan during that time. The writer, Ko Eiji, was a well-known journalist with a particular stylistic approach that endeared him to his audience. Nonetheless, during these proceedings he provided a mostly clear delineation of opinion and fact. I will not give all of his serialization, but enough to make events apparent. His serialization can be divided into:
1. sketches of the main individuals involved
a. Oda Sotatsu
b. Judge X
c. Judge Y
d. Judge Z
e. Prosecutor W
f. Defense Counsel R
2. descriptions of the emotional climate in which the trial took place
3. daily account
a. events in court
b. notable events in jail
c. sentencing, exit of Oda Sotatsu
That Ko was biased against Oda Sotatsu is very evident. I ask you to understand that it is almost inconceivable that he should write in a markedly unbiased manner at this time, even if he felt differently. I do not believe that he did feel differently. I believe that he wrote as he felt. However, it is simply a fact that temperatures in the Sakai region were running very high. I like to think that if I had written a contemporaneous account, I might have kept my equanimity and been a bit more forgiving than he proved to be. It is likely that such a hope is just a pretension. One may often (after the fact) criticize the play-by-play in a boxing match, but the simple fact is, the commentator must continue speaking, whatever he sees, however much or how little, however bad his position relative to the fighters.
I should note also that Ko is a pen name. It indicates a principle in Go, whereby a person must move a stone elsewhere on the board before playing back into a particular contested area. In this way, he sets himself up as a lover of complexities. You may decide for yourself if he deserves the name he has given himself.
Incidentally, this account was used by newspapers not only in Osaka Prefecture but throughout Japan.
ODA TRIAL COVERAGE [Ko Eiji]
Sketch of ODA SOTATSU.
ODA SOTATSU
Son of a fisherman, Oda Sotatsu. Twenty-nine years old. A product of the Osaka Prefecture school system. What was his work? A clerk in a thread concern. It has been several weeks since he was removed from the population, and why? He is accused of the abduction and perhaps murder of eleven of your fellow citizens. This young man, this quiet individual — it is rumored he has even confessed to the crimes. I give you now a pen sketch of Oda as he sits in the courtroom under the hard eyes of his three judges.
|
|
|
Hair cut rather short — perhaps expressly for the trial. It was rumored it was long when he was brought in. He sits uneasily in his chair wearing a very cheap suit, a suit, as someone once said, made to be hanged in. He is small of stature, and his gaunt cheeks express at least some of the savageness that must lurk beneath his unthreatening exterior. Most of all, most chilling of all to the observer is the despicable coldness of the eyes. Nothing anyone says seems to move him. He is in a globe of cold that refuses all human contact. We shall see if he can maintain the same air when the judges pronounce their sentence at the trial’s conclusion.
ODA TRIAL COVERAGE [Ko Eiji]
Sketch of JUDGES: Judge Iguchi; Judge Handa; Judge Shibo.
JUDGE IGUCHI
The first to enter. Strength of character is evident in the line of the jaw, the poise of the shoulders. One can see that the first thing Iguchi does is to fix Mr. Oda in his gaze and to hold him there, as though a hawk has beheld a mouse. His many years of distinguished trial service recommend him to us.
JUDGE HANDA
A relative newcomer, Judge Handa has seen his share of difficult and complicated cases, and has rendered many powerful and just decisions. Known for his conduct in the Misaki trial of 1975, he was feted in the newspapers at the time. Since then he has only continued his good work. If Mr. Oda believes that Judge Handa’s relative youth will be a factor in his favor, one would be startled by the optimism.
JUDGE SHIBO
It is not necessary to describe this man to the public of the Sakai region. His omnipresence in community affairs and his generosity make him a distinguished role model both for our youth and for those of us who still can change for the better. He is active as a professor in university as well as in his judicial vocation, and it is clear that the case benefits from his presence. A tall man, he is known for a habit of holding one elbow with the fingers of his opposite hand while considering a case (as shown in last year’s famous and excellent judicial illustration by the artist Haruna).
|
|
|
I hardly think the public could be better served in this case.
ODA TRIAL COVERAGE [Ko Eiji]
Sketch of Prosecution and Defense: Prosecutor Saito, and Defense Counsel Uchiyama.
PROSECUTOR SAITO
Known for a time as the man with the 100 percent conviction rate, a prosecutor consulted for many years by other lawyers in districts far afield for his definitive opinions, Prosecutor Saito comes with the very highest possible honors to this trial. It is rumored that his pretrial investigations have led him to another certain conviction. We shall see the effect of that ourselves. It was said at one time that as a young man, Saito resembled a heron. Whether this was meant with a view to humor or to the establishment of dignity, who can say? If he remains a heron, it is one in flight. When he lands to wade in criminal waters it is a sacrifice he makes on our collective behalf.
DEFENSE COUNSEL UCHIYAMA
In fifteen years of service, the stolid Uchiyama has kept his search for the truth at the forefront of his pursuit of excellence. His sturdy build and strong face should reassure the public; he does nothing without thought for the victims, for the populace, for justice, and for the eventual absolution of the criminal. Well-known among his comrades, he has earned a fine reputation. We look forward to seeing his work in this trial.
ODA TRIAL COVERAGE [Ko Eiji]
DAY ONE
Oda Sotatsu is brought into the room. He is seated. He, Prosecutor Saito, and Defense Counsel Uchiyama await the entrance of the judges. One by one the judges enter the room and are seated.
The rumor is that while in police custody, Mr. Oda refused to speak. It is said by some in the radical press that he was treated badly, and that view may well be borne out by the poor health he appears to exhibit. However, opponents of that view would be quick to point out that remorse could easily be destroying his health. Whatever the case is, we shall see if he continues his silence into the trial.
|
|
|
The prosecutor and defense counsel approach the judges. Some discussion is evident. They return to their places. The prosecution presents its indictment. Oda Sotatsu is accused of the abduction and murder of eleven individuals. When the charges are read, Mr. Oda is unmoved. His knuckles are not white, his pupils do not dilate, his brow does not quiver. He is quite unmoved.
Nothing seems to touch him as Prosecutor Saito speaks, not even the reading aloud of a damning document signed by Mr. Oda himself prior to reaching police custody. It is a confession, but it is not a confession signed and countersigned legally in the eyes of the law. It may show his guilt, but whether it can be considered the equal of a properly-arrived-at-confession is a matter to be discovered in time.
The judges confer. The question is brought to Oda Sotatsu and to Defense Counsel Uchiyama:
Will Oda Sotatsu admit or deny the facts as set down in the indictment?
Oda Sotatsu speaks. It is as though he is summoning up words from deep within him, with great difficulty. At first what he says cannot be made out. Judge Shibo asks that he speak louder. He is made to speak louder. He says, He does not know about the facts of the indictment, yet he holds to the confession that he signed, as he signed it .
This is not good enough for the judges. Again, he is asked, concerning the facts of the indictment prepared by Prosecutor Saito, does he admit or deny them? Mr. Oda repeats himself. He does not know about the facts of the indictment, yet he holds to the confession that he signed, as he signed it. Mr. Oda is told that he has just heard the indictment. He cannot be thought ignorant of the indictment. What is being asked of him is that he simply admit or deny those facts. Mr. Oda speaks again, he says that he, while aware of the indictment, nonetheless can neither admit nor deny it, rather, he respectfully holds to the confession that he has signed, as he signed it.
Through all this, Defense Counsel Uchiyama appears greatly chagrined, but attempts to appear unmoved. Can it be he did not know this was going to happen?
|
|
|
The judges call for a recess. The trial will continue on the following day.
ODA TRIAL COVERAGE [Ko Eiji]
DAY TWO
Oda Sotatsu is brought into the room. He is seated. He, Prosecutor Saito, and Defense Counsel Uchiyama await the entrance of the judges. One by one the judges enter the room and are seated.
The judges announce: it has been decided that, as the general effect of the language present in the confession is a mirror to that of the indictment, it is legitimate and appropriate that admitting the facts of the confession is identical to admitting the facts of the indictment, and that as a practical matter, it shall be considered as such in this case.
The court will therefore be recessed for the day, and on the following day Prosecutor Saito will present his case.
ODA TRIAL COVERAGE [Ko Eiji]
CONDITION OF MR. ODA
It has become known that Oda Sotatsu has, at some point in the week previous, stopped eating altogether. At the point of the trial’s inception, he was on the fourth or fifth day of his fast. In the radical papers, it is being called a hunger strike. We see no grounds for that, as it is not apparent that Mr. Oda’s fast has any purpose, or any possible object. Certainly, Mr. Oda has not made that object known.
ODA TRIAL COVERAGE [Ko Eiji]
ATMOSPHERE IN THE PREFECTURE
While staying in the region for the trial, I have witnessed a huge outpouring of emotion. There is great hope that the trial may move Mr. Oda to confess the location of the victims of the Narito Disappearances. Whether that will happen or not is, however, completely unknown. It is even espoused in some legal circles that the trial may be lengthened in the hopes that the particular sort of pressure it exerts might be helpful in eliciting a full disclosure by Mr. Oda. Whether that will be the case or not is unclear. Certainly it appears that no effort has been spared in the selection of the individuals involved in the trial. Also, the results of Prosecutor Saito’s pretrial investigation have not yet been made known. It is quite conceivable that he has discovered information that may be of use.
Ko
Interview
[Int. note . I had intended to give you more of Ko Eiji’s serialization, but I find that I want, again and again, to intercede and explain things. Therefore, I believe, we will continue, as if on foot, together. I decided to try to find Mr. Ko; indeed, I managed to find Mr. Ko, and he consented to speak to me about the trial. I present the results of that interview below.]
[This interview took place in Ko Eiji’s own home, a shabby building on the south side of Sakai. His daughter let me in, but left immediately after seeing that I was situated and given various measures of hospitality. We sat by a long series of windows looking out toward the harbor. The old journalist explained that he liked to sit there in the mornings, but that the noise became too much in the afternoon, and he would retire then to the far side of the house. I told him that the interview would likely not take such a long time as that.]
INT.
Mr. Ko, I wonder if you would give an explanation of the final days of the trial of Oda Sotatsu. Your coverage of it was quite sensational at the time, and syndicated throughout the country. How did events play out?
KO
He simply wouldn’t speak. There were, I suppose, many things he might have said. He said none of them. Apart from the moment when he was made to speak, at the trial’s beginning, he did not speak again. It simply wasn’t the way a prisoner should behave, certainly not the way an innocent man would. The whole thing defied reason. If it was a joke, it was the strangest joke in the world, and for a person to risk his own life, and with no sense of what anything might mean? I just don’t know.
INT.
Some have said that the forced feeding that went on, that may have made him willful. Do you believe that view?
KO
Certainly, after the fourth day of trial when he was becoming seriously ill from his fast, that’s when they began to feed him. I think then there was a definite change in his manner. While his behavior was outwardly the same, he seemed resigned. There was even less to be found in his eyes than before.
INT.
And you were all hoping that he would speak about the victims?
KO
The judges questioned him repeatedly and at great length about the victims. It was to no avail. His own lawyer, I believe it was Yano Haruo, the defense counsel …
INT.
It was Mr. Uchiyama, I believe.
KO
Oh, yes, dear me, it has been so many years. Uchiyama Isao. He is dead, I believe. Just a few years back. A man with a large family. They have always lived in Sakai, I believe, many generations.
INT.
You were saying that the defense counsel …
KO
The defense counsel, let me see … ah, yes, the defense counsel even tried to convince him, tell all, please tell all, it will be the best for you and all concerned. He really was a good man, a very good, just man, Uchiyama. Very respected. He tried everything he could with Oda. I spoke to him alone about it, long afterward. It was a great regret of his, the whole thing. Some blamed him. Unfairly, but, well, some did. Uchiyama told me he kept a picture of Oda in his house for many years, the rest of the time he was practicing, just to remind him — we know so little about our fellow men. There is always more to know. Do you know what he said to me? What Uchiyama said? On the day he retired, he tore the picture up and threw it out. He didn’t want to look at it anymore. I think he felt he had tried with Oda. He had begged him to speak and explain himself. But Oda was unmoved.
INT.
And the result was?
KO
The result was that the trial came to an end. He wouldn’t speak, and the facts seemed relatively clear. He had said in his confession that the twelve victims were taken from this place and that place, all information that was nowhere else to be found, not in the newspapers, nowhere. I think the newspapers had only known about some of the victims anyway. There is a burden, a revelation of secret that has to occur — and that was it. The confession is never enough on its own, or shouldn’t be. Perhaps it sometimes is. It shouldn’t be. In this case there was more. All these people had disappeared. You have to understand, we were very concerned. Everyone in Sakai, in Osaka Prefecture, we were very concerned.
INT.
I do, I appreciate that.
KO
There was just no way anyone could have known.
INT.
And the sentence — did Mr. Oda accept it in the same spirit that he accepted the rest?
KO
The sentence was, as you know, he would be hanged. He would go to a prison and wait for some time, and thereafter be hanged. Some had spoken of leniency in the case, based on his silence, his aberrant behavior. Perhaps he was mad? He did not appear mad to me, or to the judges. No one in the room thought he was mad. The work of the court is to give justice, it is the one measure of a society, when all other measures are abandoned. How do you give justice? Here we had twelve …
INT.
Eleven, I believe.
KO
Yes, yes, eleven victims. Who was to speak for them?
INT.
But the reading of the sentence. Did it affect him?
KO
Not noticeably. I believe he was aware that it would come. It was not a surprise to any of us.
INT.
I will read to you what you wrote on that occasion. You wrote, So ends the long, painful story of the Narito Disappearances. Sadly, we know as little at the end as we did at the beginning. We have found someone to blame for it, but are no better equipped to factually answer the question, where are our lost family members and why were they taken? These are secrets it seems that Oda Sotatsu will bear with him to the grave. May they give him no solace there .
(A minute’s pause.)
INT.
How does that sound to you now?
(Tape-device clicks off.)
[Int. note . Here Ko Eiji chose to stop the interview.]
Int. Note
[That afternoon, I left Ko Eiji’s house and went to the industrial area round about. I walked for a very long time, eventually making my way back to the hotel where I was staying. When I got there, his daughter was sitting outside on a bench. She said there was something more her father wanted to tell me. Would I come back with her right then? I agreed, and we hailed a cab. It was pleasant, riding in a cab with this young woman who so clearly disapproved of me and of my treatment of her father. She did not like having been dispatched on such an errand. When we got to the house, she unlocked the door, and we went up the stairs. She showed me to where her father was, and again went away. I don’t actually know if this was even Ko Eiji’s daughter. Perhaps it was his assistant or amanuensis. I certainly didn’t ask. Yet one would imagine, if she had been his helper, she would not have been so reluctant to go here and there on his errands. Who can say? I sat down and turned on my tape-device.]
KO
Let’s not worry about that for a moment.
(He brings out a shogi board.)
KO
Do you play?
INT.
Badly. I am much better at …
KO
at Western chess, I suppose?
(Laughs.)
INT.
Yes, certainly.
KO
Do you know how the pieces move?
INT.
I do. I believe I do. You might have to remind me of a rule or two.
KO
Then let us play a game.
[We played three games of shogi, and in each I was soundly beaten. When the games were over, we sat for a while, not saying anything. Ko Eiji’s assistant brought us something hot to drink. The light changed slowly as the streetlamps lit up all along the roads and avenues. The day lasted longest out on the water, but even there it eventually fell away, perhaps most completely.]
KO
I don’t like the way this ended, our conversation. That’s why I asked you back.
INT.
Our conversation?
KO
Our conversation. I don’t like this conclusion. I have something else to say. This is what it is: I went there to the prison during the fast.
INT.
To see Sotatsu?
KO
To see him.
INT.
And what did you see?
KO
He was weak and tired, but the guards woke him up. The chief guard on duty accompanied me and they made a big show of presenting Oda with his food, which he did not eat. It was strange, and at the time, I felt odd about it. Now I feel, well, you see, it isn’t clear, not even now, which way it was.
INT.
Whether …
KO
Whether they were starving him or not. But they put this food in front of him and he didn’t eat it. I saw that. My photographer took pictures of him and we left. I looked him in the eye, or tried to. But, I saw nothing. He didn’t appear to even see me. I suppose I looked like any of the others.
INT.
But you weren’t like the others?
KO
I was a journalist. I was trying to see what was there.
INT.
But even with that, you …
KO
Yes, even then, I failed.
INT.
Can you say …
KO
I want you to know it wasn’t that easy for me — not as easy as the newspaper accounts make it sound. We knew so little. I just, I couldn’t understand it. Well …
(Silence on the tape for another minute, and then it clicks off.)
Room Like a Gallows Tree
Дата добавления: 2019-09-13; просмотров: 201; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!