Have you heard of Unit 731? If you have an interest in Japanese history and have researched it, you must have heard of the infamous Unit 731 that existed during World War II (1939 – 1945) and the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937 – 1945).
Unit 731 (Nana-san-ichi Butai) was the unit where the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army was located in the Pingfang district, in the former puppet state of Manchukuo, northeastern China.
However, despite the official name, the Department that provided health-related services was actually a facade to hide the real activities of Unit 731, carried out underground in the district.
The activities were based on human experiments on civilians and prisoners of war from China, Russia, Mongolia, Korea, and even Allies. Additionally, other subjects were selected. Common criminals, captured enemies, and anti-Japanese partisans. The unit was commanded by the general and surgeon of the Kwantung Army, Shiro Ishii.
Table of Contents
Inside Unit 731
The horrific activities of Unit 731 included:
- Infection of prisoners with venereal diseases to study the effects of diseases on the human body;
- Vivisection of prisoners without anesthesia to study the effect of diseases on organs;
- Subjecting prisoners to rape by the unit’s guards;
- Exposing prisoners to cold temperature tests to study the effects of freezing cold;
- Testing firearms such as grenades and flamethrowers and biological weapons using prisoners as human targets;
- Deprivation of water and food to determine how long it took for prisoners to die;
Unit 731 after the war
Eventually, after the end of World War II and Japan’s surrender, Unit 731 was deactivated, putting an end to its activities. However, those involved in the experiments were not tried for the war crimes committed and were granted immunity by the Americans in exchange for the data collected during the experiments conducted at the unit.
As a result, the existence of Unit 731 went unnoticed by the public. Thus, it remained out of popular knowledge until 1989, when human remains were discovered buried in pits in Shinjuku by workers who were working there.
Subsequently, the Japanese government had to admit the existence of Unit 731 and the experiments conducted during that time.
We have included a video below as a supplement:
Unit 731 is yet another one of the atrocities committed by the Empire of Japan during World War II. Thus, Japan had to apologize to its Asian neighbors. This is something that will be marked in Japan’s history.
Despite the official apology, countries like China and Korea still maintain a relationship of distance and distrust towards Japan. This is due to the inadequate approach to such atrocities committed by the Japanese during wartime.
Did you know about Unit 731? What is your opinion on the subject?
Leave a Reply