A Japanese scholar has unveiled a groundbreaking document shedding new light on Japan’s germ-warfare activities in China during World War II. The document comprises detailed profiles of technicians involved in the notorious Unit 731 and other germ-warfare detachments.
Seiya Matsuno, a researcher at the International Peace Research Institute of Meiji Gakuin University and a distinguished professor at Heilongjiang International University, discovered the 267-page document in the National Archives of Japan. The document contains basic profiles of 100 technicians who served from February 1944 to August 1945, with over half affiliated with Unit 731.
“This document provides unprecedented insight into the personnel structure and operations of Unit 731,” said Jin Shicheng, a researcher with the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. “It includes information such as appointment times, promotion records, educational backgrounds, and evaluations, marking technicians as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.”
Technicians, according to Matsuno, were core research personnel engaged in specialized technical professions. They enjoyed the treatment of senior officials and were incorporated into the army, serving as heads of various research departments. Their primary work involved conducting bacterial experiments and medical research.
Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. It served as the nerve center for Japan’s biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during World War II. The crimes committed by Unit 731 are among the most heinous atrocities of the Japanese invasion of China.
“The archives released are important evidence for deepening the research of Japanese germ-warfare detachments,” said Jin Chengmin, curator of the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crime Committed by Unit 731. “They are of great significance for revealing the crimes of Japanese germ-warfare units.”
The unveiling of this document coincides with the 93rd anniversary of the September 18 Incident of 1931, when Japanese troops began their invasion of China, marking the country’s early resistance against fascism and foreshadowing World War II.
The discovery of this document not only enriches historical archives but also serves as a solemn reminder of the atrocities committed during wartime. It underscores the importance of historical truth in fostering understanding and preventing the repetition of past mistakes.
Reference(s):
Scholar unveils new document on Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China
cgtn.com
