A long-hidden document revealing intricate details about Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ warfare unit during World War II, has been unveiled for the first time in Harbin, the capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. The disclosure coincides with the 86th anniversary of the outbreak of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, commemorated on July 7.
On December 2, 1940, the Japanese Kwantung Army established four detachments of Unit 731 in Northeast China, with the largest stationed in Linkou County, Heilongjiang Province. The newly revealed document provides an in-depth look at this Linkou detachment, illustrating how its organizational structure and personnel closely mirrored that of the infamous Unit 731. Operating as a bacterial unit with independent combat capabilities, the detachment played a significant role in Japan’s wartime germ warfare operations.
The 177-page document records the basic information of 140 members of the Linkou detachment, detailing their activities from enlistment to their return home after the war. Researchers have discovered evidence within the document indicating that this detachment collaborated with Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments and producing plague germ weapons.
“The rat-catching operations recorded in the document can be corroborated by previous oral testimonies and historical materials,” said Jin Shicheng, a researcher at the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crimes Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. “This further proves that the detachment collaborated with Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments and producing plague germ weapons.”
After World War II, members of the Linkou detachment did not withdraw to Japan with the Unit 731 headquarters. Instead, they returned individually and filled out personal information registration forms, which comprise the roster made public this time.
Previously stored in the National Archives of Japan, the original roster was brought back to China in 2022 following extensive negotiations. After systematic organization and research, the document has now been officially opened to the public.
“This document is the most crucial archive discovered to date for studying the detachment in Linkou,” Jin added. “It provides key evidence for a comprehensive understanding of the detachment’s personnel composition and post-war transfers. This is significant for fully and accurately exposing the crimes of the Japanese Kwantung Army in bacteriological warfare.”
The unveiling of this document sheds new light on the extent of Japan’s germ warfare activities during World War II. It further demonstrates that the human experiments and bacteriological warfare conducted by Unit 731 were not isolated incidents but part of large-scale, organized state crimes sanctioned at the highest levels of the Japanese government.
The revelation serves as a sobering reminder of the atrocities committed during the war and underscores the importance of historical accountability. As the world reflects on this dark chapter, the new evidence contributes to a deeper understanding of wartime history in Asia and the enduring impact on affected communities.
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Newly unveiled document reveals details of Japanese germ warfare unit
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