1) Medical ethics is important in medical education. A questionnaire survey of medical ethics education was conducted at university departments of medicine and at medical colleges in Japan and Germany.
2) The Declaration of Helsinki and war crimes committed by physicians were included in the medical ethics education of most university departments of medicine and medical colleges in Germany but of few in Japan.
3) It is important to continue research into the history of physicians' participation in the 15 years of war and to prepare teaching materials, including primary sources and texts, about war and medicine that can be used in medical ethics education.