Shanghai, China - April 25, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of special session marking 80th anniversary of Tokyo Trials during 2026 Annual Conference of Chinese Society of International Law; attendees
2. Seminar on Tokyo Trials' 80th anniversary at Shanghai Jiao Tong University
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) He Qinhua, former president, East China University of Political Science and Law:
"Eighty years have now passed since the Tokyo Trials, yet their profound historical impact endures. First, the trials thoroughly dismantled Japanese militarism - in ideology, practice and personnel alike. Second, they paved the way for the enactment of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, the core provision of the country's so-called Peace Constitution. Most importantly, the Tokyo Trials formally established the legal definition of the crime of aggression."

FILE: Tokyo, Japan - 2024 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of National Diet building, national flag

Shanghai, China - April 25, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) He Qinhua, former president, East China University of Political Science and Law (partially overlaid with shots 6-7):
"First and foremost, Japan committed acts of aggression. It launched armed invasions against China and Southeast Asian countries, carrying out widespread arson, massacres, looting and other atrocities. The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 clearly stipulated that the use of force to settle disputes was prohibited, and Japan was one of its signatory states. Moreover, the Cairo Declaration, issued on December 1, 1943, explicitly stated that the purpose of the war was to stop and punish acts of aggression. So our objective was clear: to not only halt Japan's aggression, but also impose due punishment on it."

++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Various of Japanese prime minister's office, sign, national flag, security guards

FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Nov 20, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. National Diet building, traffic
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

Shanghai, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of Center for Tokyo Trial Studies, sign
9. Various of historical records, archival materials relating to Tokyo Trials
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Cheng Zhaoqi, director, Center for Tokyo Trial Studies, Shanghai Jiao Tong University:
"The Tokyo Trials were the largest trial in human history, making them undoubtedly worthy of study. They also represent the final word on Japan's modern-era aggression. However, under sustained attacks from Japan's right-wing, the significance of the Tokyo Trials has been gradually eroded. After the war, especially during the Cold War, the victors' relationships shifted dramatically. So it is up to us to preserve the legacy of these trials."
11. Exterior of Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression
12. Signage for "Post-War Trials and World Peace" exhibition
13. Various of historical documents on display at exhibition

A special session marking the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials was held Saturday during the 2026 Annual Conference of the Chinese Society of International Law in Shanghai, with experts underscoring the tribunal's profound legacy in defining wartime aggression and promoting international justice.

This year marks eight decades since the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or the Tokyo Trials, convened in 1946 to prosecute Japanese military and political leaders for Class-A war crimes committed during World War II. Chinese legal scholars and historians gathered in Shanghai to reflect on the enduring significance of the tribunal, which held more than 800 court sessions before rendering a verdict in 1948.

"Eighty years have now passed since the Tokyo Trials, yet their profound historical impact endures. First, the trials thoroughly dismantled Japanese militarism -- in ideology, practice and personnel alike. Second, they paved the way for the enactment of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, the core provision of the country's so-called Peace Constitution. Most importantly, the Tokyo Trials formally established the legal definition of the crime of aggression," said He Qinhua, former president of East China University of Political Science and Law.

Guan Jianqiang, a professor at the same university, emphasized the necessity of the trial.

"First and foremost, Japan committed acts of aggression. It launched armed invasions against China and Southeast Asian countries, carrying out widespread arson, massacres, looting and other atrocities. The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 clearly stipulated that the use of force to settle disputes was prohibited, and Japan was one of its signatory states. Moreover, the Cairo Declaration, issued on December 1, 1943, explicitly stated that the purpose of the war was to stop and punish acts of aggression. So our objective was clear: to not only halt Japan's aggression, but also impose due punishment on it," said Guan.

Legal experts said the Tokyo Trials were pivotal in legally establishing Japan's actions as acts of aggression, significantly advancing the international legal definition of "aggression." In the decades since, research on the trials has deepened worldwide, with Chinese scholars contributing to detailed studies and archival work.

Since its founding, the Center for Tokyo Trial Studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has worked to fill gaps in key historical documentation, systematically publishing trial transcripts, evidentiary records, and witness accounts. The center has also compiled authoritative indexes of names, places, and events to encourage scholarly research and public understanding.

"The Tokyo Trials were the largest trial in human history, making them undoubtedly worthy of study. They also represent the final word on Japan's modern-era aggression. However, under sustained attacks from Japan's right-wing, the significance of the Tokyo Trials has been gradually eroded. After the war, especially during the Cold War, the victors' relationships shifted dramatically. So it is up to us to preserve the legacy of these trials," said Cheng Zhaoqi, director of the Center.

In conjunction with the academic research, the Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is holding an exhibition showcasing historical artifacts, documents, and photographs, allowing the public to gain a firsthand understanding of the pursuit of historical justice and the hard-won peace that followed the war.