Latest news with #Unit731
LeMonde
29-05-2025
- Health
- LeMonde
In Japan, newly released archives reveal the scale of human experimentation between 1938 and 1945
Service records of officers and soldiers before Japan's defeat in 1945, made public on May 15 by the country's National Archives, revealed that some were assigned to secret units in China: one in Nanjing, identified as Unit 1,644, and another in Guangzhou, numbered 8,604. The military personnel in these units reportedly conducted bacteriological experiments on human subjects. Until now only Unit 731, located near Harbin – now in China's Heilongjiang province and then the capital of Manchukuo, a puppet state controlled by Tokyo – was known for carrying out such activities from 1938 until the end of World War II. "The service records confirm the existence in China of a network of units conducting these experiments and coordinating their activities," explained Katsuo Nishiyama, emeritus professor at Shiga University of Medical Science and a specialist in Japan's imperial-era biological weapons programs. Units 1,644 and 8,604 − with the one in Nanjing being the largest − were overseen, like Unit 731, by the Tokyo-based Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department. Their primary activity reportedly involved experimenting on humans to enable Japan to develop biological weapons, in violation of the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibiting chemical and biological weapons.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Global Times: More than 100 skulls found in Tokyo highly likely to have originated from Unit 731, Japanese civil group reveals
05/21/2025, Beijing, China // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // 'The likelihood of the 'Toyama human bones' originating from the notorious Unit 731 of the Japanese army during its invasion of China is very high. Only by clarifying the historical truth can the medical crimes committed by the invading Japanese army during wartime be revealed to the world,' a representative of the Japanese civil group 'Association Demanding Investigation of Human Bones Discovered from the Site of the Army Medical College' told the Global Times in an exclusive interview, when addressing the association's 36 years of research and investigation of the startling and frightening discovery in Tokyo in 1989 of more than 100 human skulls. On July 22, 1989, a number of human bones, referred to as the 'Toyama human bones,' were discovered at a construction site for the Health and Infectious Diseases (now the National Institute of Infectious Diseases) in Toyama-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Most of the bones were skulls and femurs. The construction site is located at the former site of the Japanese Army Medical School, which is believed to have housed the headquarters of Unit 731. If confirmed, it would undoubtedly serve as further evidence of Japan's war crimes during its invasion of China. 'While I cannot 'assert' it definitively, I believe there is a high possibility that the 'Toyama human bones' belong to Unit 731,' explained Kazuyuki Kawamura, a representative from the non-government organization. The association was established in 1990 and has dedicated the past 36 years to investigating the truth behind the human bones. 'We believe it is necessary to treat this issue with seriousness, to uncover the historical facts and to return the remains of those who did not voluntarily become medical specimens to their descendants,' said the representative. According to Kawamura, the following facts have been established so far: First, the 'Toyama human bones' are part of specimens or bodies related to the Japanese Army Medical School. Second, the bones are believed to belong to individuals of Asian descent (Mongoloid). Third, the specimens collected by the Japanese Army Medical School were obtained through two main channels -the dissection of Chinese soldiers' bodies on the battlefield by the Army Medical School's pathology department, which were then brought back to Japan as war injury specimens; the other involved Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department of the Imperial Japanese Army, also known as Unit 731, which was established in Harbin (then known as Manchuria), Northeast China, and sent parts of bodies (mainly heads) collected locally to the Japanese Army Medical School. 'Since the 'Toyama human bones' are not war injury specimens, they are generally believed to have been brought back to Japan through the second channel,' Kawamura noted. A report released by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2001 concluded that the human bones belonged to specimens stored at the former Army Medical School before August 1945, which could be part of bodies collected for the purpose of creating specimens and medical education, 'which may include specimens from the remains of those who died on the battlefield,' the report stated. 'There are claims suggesting that the bodies or specimens came from overseas areas such as Unit 731, as well as denials of such claims,' the report said. Currently, the human bones are stored in a columbarium at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan. According to Kyodo News, it is estimated that the human bones belong to the remains of more than 100 individuals. Records from Japanese Army Medical School personnel files indicate that in 1940, a significant number of non-war injury head specimens were transported from Harbin to the school. Although it cannot be directly established that these specimens are linked to the Unit 731, it is hard to imagine that any other military unit would transport such a large number of head specimens from Harbin to the Army Medical School, Kawamura stated. 'Who collected these 'bodies' and how? How were they transported from Harbin to the Army Medical School in 1940? We have requested the Japanese government to conduct further investigations into individuals associated with Unit 731.' He revealed that the association is currently engaged in lectures, gatherings and field investigations at the site, where the bones were discovered. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The association plans to hold a commemorative event on July 20 to mark the 36th anniversary of the discovery of the human bones and report the latest findings, and they will continue their thorough investigative work in the future. When the human bones were first discovered in July 1989, Kawamura was serving as a member of the Shinjuku Ward Assembly in Tokyo. At that time, he stated it was necessary to explore the truth behind the human bones and actively encouraged researchers and citizens interested in the matter to take part in the investigation. Given that the Japanese government has yet to reflect on its war crimes, what messages does the association hope to convey to the outside world? In response to the question from the Global Times, Kawamura stated that only by uncovering the historical truth of the human bones can the medical crimes committed by the Japanese army during wartime be exposed, and he hopes to convey the meaning of peace to the world through this process. The article first appeared in the Global Times:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Global Times: More than 100 skulls found in Tokyo highly likely to have originated from Unit 731, Japanese civil group reveals
A Japanese civil group claims over 100 human skulls found in Tokyo likely originate from Unit 731, exposing potential wartime medical crimes by the Japanese army. Beijing, China, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "The likelihood of the 'Toyama human bones' originating from the notorious Unit 731 of the Japanese army during its invasion of China is very high. Only by clarifying the historical truth can the medical crimes committed by the invading Japanese army during wartime be revealed to the world," a representative of the Japanese civil group "Association Demanding Investigation of Human Bones Discovered from the Site of the Army Medical College" told the Global Times in an exclusive interview, when addressing the association's 36 years of research and investigation of the startling and frightening discovery in Tokyo in 1989 of more than 100 human skulls. On July 22, 1989, a number of human bones, referred to as the "Toyama human bones," were discovered at a construction site for the Health and Infectious Diseases (now the National Institute of Infectious Diseases) in Toyama-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Most of the bones were skulls and femurs. The construction site is located at the former site of the Japanese Army Medical School, which is believed to have housed the headquarters of Unit 731. If confirmed, it would undoubtedly serve as further evidence of Japan's war crimes during its invasion of China. "While I cannot 'assert' it definitively, I believe there is a high possibility that the 'Toyama human bones' belong to Unit 731," explained Kazuyuki Kawamura, a representative from the non-government organization. The association was established in 1990 and has dedicated the past 36 years to investigating the truth behind the human bones. "We believe it is necessary to treat this issue with seriousness, to uncover the historical facts and to return the remains of those who did not voluntarily become medical specimens to their descendants," said the representative. According to Kawamura, the following facts have been established so far: First, the "Toyama human bones" are part of specimens or bodies related to the Japanese Army Medical School. Second, the bones are believed to belong to individuals of Asian descent (Mongoloid). Third, the specimens collected by the Japanese Army Medical School were obtained through two main channels -the dissection of Chinese soldiers' bodies on the battlefield by the Army Medical School's pathology department, which were then brought back to Japan as war injury specimens; the other involved Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department of the Imperial Japanese Army, also known as Unit 731, which was established in Harbin (then known as Manchuria), Northeast China, and sent parts of bodies (mainly heads) collected locally to the Japanese Army Medical School. "Since the 'Toyama human bones' are not war injury specimens, they are generally believed to have been brought back to Japan through the second channel," Kawamura noted. A report released by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2001 concluded that the human bones belonged to specimens stored at the former Army Medical School before August 1945, which could be part of bodies collected for the purpose of creating specimens and medical education, "which may include specimens from the remains of those who died on the battlefield," the report stated. "There are claims suggesting that the bodies or specimens came from overseas areas such as Unit 731, as well as denials of such claims," the report said. Currently, the human bones are stored in a columbarium at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan. According to Kyodo News, it is estimated that the human bones belong to the remains of more than 100 individuals. Records from Japanese Army Medical School personnel files indicate that in 1940, a significant number of non-war injury head specimens were transported from Harbin to the school. Although it cannot be directly established that these specimens are linked to the Unit 731, it is hard to imagine that any other military unit would transport such a large number of head specimens from Harbin to the Army Medical School, Kawamura stated. "Who collected these 'bodies' and how? How were they transported from Harbin to the Army Medical School in 1940? We have requested the Japanese government to conduct further investigations into individuals associated with Unit 731." He revealed that the association is currently engaged in lectures, gatherings and field investigations at the site, where the bones were discovered. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The association plans to hold a commemorative event on July 20 to mark the 36th anniversary of the discovery of the human bones and report the latest findings, and they will continue their thorough investigative work in the future. When the human bones were first discovered in July 1989, Kawamura was serving as a member of the Shinjuku Ward Assembly in Tokyo. At that time, he stated it was necessary to explore the truth behind the human bones and actively encouraged researchers and citizens interested in the matter to take part in the investigation. Given that the Japanese government has yet to reflect on its war crimes, what messages does the association hope to convey to the outside world? In response to the question from the Global Times, Kawamura stated that only by uncovering the historical truth of the human bones can the medical crimes committed by the Japanese army during wartime be exposed, and he hopes to convey the meaning of peace to the world through this process. The article first appeared in the Global Times: Company: Global TimesContact Person: Anna LiEmail: editor@ BeijingDisclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
Japan Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Name lists of former Imperial Japanese Army biowarfare units released
The National Archives of Japan has disclosed to researchers the names of members of biological warfare units that the former Imperial Japanese Army had stationed in China. Researchers hope the disclosure of the name lists will uncover many mysteries surrounding such units, of which only Unit 731, which was involved in the development of biological weapons and human experimentation in China, is widely known. The lists contain the names of members of Unit 1644, which was based in Nanjing, eastern China, and Unit 8604, which was based in Guangzhou, southern China. According to the National Archives, the lists for the two units were transferred to it from the health ministry in fiscal 2024, which ended in March. Katsuo Nishiyama, professor emeritus at Shiga University of Medical Science, applied for access to the lists this spring. Compiled in 1945, the lists contain unit members' names, registered domiciles, military ranks and information on their homes. Some 2,000 people are on the list for Unit 1644, while about 850 names are on that for Unit 8604. Both lists are believed to contain the names of all members of the two units. Unit 731 was based in the outskirts of Harbin in what was then Manchuria, now northeastern China, where Japan had a puppet state. It is said to have conducted studies on biological weapons using plague bacterium. The list for Unit 1644 has been found to include the names of members transferred from Unit 731. "This may be a new step toward a full understanding of the actual situation," Nishiyama, 83, said of the disclosure.
Asahi Shimbun
15-05-2025
- Health
- Asahi Shimbun
New documents shed light on secret wartime germ units
One of the declassified rosters of the wartime Unit 1644 of the Imperial Japanese Army (Ryota Goto) Previously classified personnel rosters of lesser-known wartime bacteriological units deployed in China, hidden since the end of World War II, have been released, which will help researchers better understand the nation's germ warfare effort. The National Archives of Japan made public the rosters from 1945, which detail the names, addresses and prior affiliations of members of Unit 1644, based in Nanjing, and Unit 8604, based in Guangzhou. These units are believed to have conducted human experimentation similar to the infamous Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army during the war. The newly released lists of Unit 1644 include names that also appear in Unit 731 records, according to Katsuo Nishiyama, a professor emeritus at Shiga University of Medical Science, who has studied Japan's wartime medical and biological programs. 'This confirms cooperation between these units,' Nishiyama said. 'It's a crucial piece of evidence that could shed light on a coordinated network of germ warfare divisions within the Japanese military.' He hopes additional testimonies and documents will surface in the wake of this disclosure. Both Unit 1644 and Unit 8604 were part of the Imperial Japanese Army's epidemic prevention and water purification departments and are also believed to have been involved in the development of biological weapons. They likely operated under similar mandates to Unit 731, which was stationed in northeast China and is widely known for its brutal biological warfare experiments on Chinese prisoners of war and other victims. The lack of surviving witnesses and documentation has made studying the activities and research of Unit 1644 particularly difficult. One of the few references to the unit came from the late Shigeo Ban, a former member of the top-secret Noborito Laboratory, which conducted research on secret weapons and intelligence operations for the military. In his memoir, Ban recalled a 1941 trip to Nanjing during which he witnessed a military doctor from Unit 1644 conducting live human experiments on Chinese prisoners of war.
