Voting Station

Tokyo Rose (Iva Toguri)

Please vote to return to collections.

Radio Personality

The Resume

    (July 4, 1916-September 27, 2006)
    American citizen forced to broadcast war propaganda while stranded in Japan
    Hosted the Japanese WW II propaganda radio program ‘Zero Hour'
    Story prominently featured on '60 Minutes (1977)'
    Subject of the book ‘Tokyo Rose: Orphan In The Pacific'

Why she might be annoying:

    She was labeled ‘Tokyo Rose' despite never using the name.
    ‘Tokyo Rose' was the allied military name for all female Japanese radio propagandists during WW II.
    She was involved in fist fights at the radio station for supporting WW II allied forces.
    Her on-air nickname was ‘Orphan Ann.'
    Her trial was the most expensive in United States history (through the 1940's).
    She was charged with eight counts of treason, but only convicted of one.
    She was fined $10,000 and sentenced to ten years in prison (she served six).
    She had to divorce her husband because he could not regain entry into the United States.
    Her 'guilt' remained a hotly contested issue decades after her trial was over.

Why she might not be annoying:

    Broadcasting propaganda was not her choice; she was forced by the Japanese military.
    She cleverly ‘snuck in' pro-American references during her radio broadcasts.
    She was a victim of circumstance; a Japanese-American trapped in Japan following the attack at Pearl Harbor.
    She refused to renounce her American citizenship when the Japanese government pressured her to.
    She smuggled food, medicine and other necessities to allied POWs being held in Japan.
    Several WW II POWs acted on her behalf, claiming her broadcasts tried to ‘sabotage' Japan's war effort.
    She was pardoned by President Gerald Ford.
    She graduated UCLA with a zoology degree.

Credit: D


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 11 Votes: 63.64% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 20 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 14 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 13 Votes: 76.92% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 11 Votes: 27.27% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 42 Votes: 45.24% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 15 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 17 Votes: 35.29% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 78 Votes: 48.72% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 60 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 51 Votes: 41.18% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 53 Votes: 41.51% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 181 Votes: 44.20% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 872 Votes: 45.64% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 215 Votes: 45.12% Annoying