Tokyo Rose

Japanese radio propagandist group

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Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

"Tokyo Rose" was the collective name given to several female announcers on Japanese propaganda radio broadcasts aimed at U.S. troops during World War II. These broadcasts, often featuring music and news, were intended to demoralize Allied soldiers.

While many women participated, the most well-known "Tokyo Rose" was Iva Toguri D’Aquino, an American citizen who was stranded in Japan when the war began. After the war, she was convicted of treason in the United States and served six years in prison. She was later pardoned by President Gerald Ford in 1977, as evidence emerged that she had secretly worked to subvert the propaganda efforts.12

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…number of women were called Tokyo Rose as they broadcast (in English) against the Allied military forces in the Pacific. Only one, Iva Toguri D’Aquino, was an American citizen, and she served a prison term after the war before receiving a presidential pardon in 1977. Japan’s broadcast system largely survived…
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…number of women were called Tokyo Rose as they broadcast (in English) against the Allied military forces in the Pacific. Only one, Iva Toguri D’Aquino, was an American citizen, and she served a prison term after the war before receiving a presidential pardon in 1977. Japan’s broadcast system largely survived…
Read More