I remember as a teen flipping through bound volumes of “Stars and Stripes: Pacific” from the era and reading the story of the team sent to arrest Tojo. He tried to shoot himself in the heart because he didn’t want to mess up his profile. He missed and was tried and went to the noose.
The Imperial Japanese had two full weeks between Hirohito’s announcement of surrender and the landing of Occupation Forces to destroy documents and evidence.
It is said that Tojo was hanged at dawn on a crisp fall day. One American MP observed,
“Hmm...there’s a little nip in the air this morning!”
;^)
I remember reading that when firearms became an accepted weapon with which to commit suicide in Japan, the proper/honorable way to employ a firearm for that use was to shoot oneself in the heart--not in the head.
If true, then Tojo was attempting to follow a code of conduct, not trying to spare his profile.
From what I’ve read and heard the Japanese were in a very deep state of depression and dishonor and they were not thinking about destroying documents. Unlike the Germans who were trying to cover their butts the Japanese never felt they did any thing wrong or dishonorable.