“I dissected 300 humans”: Former Unit 731 members expose Japan’s wartime atrocities

“I dissected 300 humans”: Former Unit 731 members expose Japan’s wartime atrocities

[Music] Hello and welcome to Access Asia. I’m Yuka Hoy. This week, as a movie exploring one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century hit the box office in China, we’ll take a look back at Japan’s wartime atrocities and the still unhealed wounds left on people. It’s titled Evil Unbound in English and tells the story of the Imperial Japanese Army’s notorious Unit 731 and its germ warfare program. The film was released on September the 18th, the day that marks the start of Japan’s invasion of Manuria in 1931. It reportedly racked up more than 12 million euros in pre-sales alone. Our correspondents have been finding out why it’s whipping up excitement in China. It’s set to be one of the most violent films of the year, but despite the horror, fans have flocked to view China’s latest hit thriller, 731. For some invited to the premiere like social media influencer that way, the release is about more than just the film. It’s a way to remember the past. When the movie was being filmed, I was already interested. I think Chinese people should understand this history. I think this concerns all Chinese people. Set in China’s northeast, the film tells the story of the deadly human experiments conducted by Imperial Japan on civilians during Tokyo’s occupation of China. It’s the latest in a series of patriotic movies that shine an important light on Japan’s war crimes. But detractors like film critic and podcaster Ma say it also serves a second purpose, shaping national identity. This film’s marketing strategy carries a right-wing flavor and is a kind of emotional manipulation tied to nationalism. Right-wing works like this are essentially self-indulgent, aimed at a domestic audience, their internal propaganda. Despite this, the film is also set for international release, and its producers argue it will spread the knowledge about Imperial Japan’s actions, long a hot topic in China, across the globe. It’s museums like this one here that remind people of the horrors inflicted on China by Imperial Japan. But while there’s high awareness of these things here, Beijing still says that Tokyo has never truly confronted that element of the country’s history and is something that still shapes people’s views of Japan to this day. If the aggressor does not reflect and instead insists on denying what happened and falsifying history, then how could we, the victims, ever forget? From what I see online, many of them still haven’t recognized reality, haven’t acknowledged history. I hope they can acknowledge history. Some of them may still be denying this part of history, but some others are admitting their ancestors mistakes and asking for forgiveness. From packed out cinemas to crowded war museums, 731’s release highlights that more than 80 years on from the end of World War II, Japan’s invasion still weighs heavy on the minds of many in China. Well, for more, let’s bring in Dr. Andress Rodriguez, senior lecturer in modern Chinese history at the University of Sydney. Great to have you on our show, Andress. Now, unit 731 is said to have carried out human experiments to develop biological weapons and dropped plagueinfested bombs in China. Why did Japan seek germ warfare? And why was no one from the unit convicted of war crimes? I think the um the the investigation into uh chemical warfare um actually goes we can find an earlier precedents particularly when we look at what happened in World War I and the idea that there were Japanese military observers looking at the effects of for example of chlorine and the ways that German army had had basically managed to have relative forms of success. So I think this idea of using chemical and biological warfare was something that was very much on the table. um possibly in the earliest stages of the war uh perhaps not that much necessary but as we go on into 1940s where we see pretty much a a stagnation of the war um the Japanese army has to look at other possibilities. So essentially, yes, it’s correct that when it came to identifying the people who are responsible for the for these crimes, these these infamous crimes, um we don’t really have anyone convicted at the Tokyo trials, just as an example. Now, the main reason for this is that the United States now needed Japan as an ally, not not as an enemy. And on the other hand, many of these uh results or the data that came up from these these horrible experiments on human beings were also sought after by by the Americans as well. So in many ways there was there was a negotiation of sorts where many of these people responsible were granted immunity in exchange for providing this information. Having said that, it’s not entirely true that no one was convicted. Um we do know that at least 12 members of the unit um were convicted in the Soviet Union. Um eventually I think all of them were actually returned later to Japan. But even despite the fact that they were child under the Soviet system because of the cold war the uh the western block so to speak did not seek did not recognize any legitimacy. Actually Andrew let me just interrupt you for a little bit. Uh and do stay with us because we’re going to hear some testimonies from former members of unit 731. A few people have broken decades of silence and come forward with their stories, including a Masakuni Kurumizawa who took part in human experiments. A word of warning, certain viewers may find it disturbing. My personal record shows that I dissected about 300 human bodies. We dissected people two or three hours after they had died. Many times when I cut open a body, blood that was still warm oozed out, if someone says this amounted to live dissection, well, I have to acknowledge that it did. But at the same time, we killed them for scientific research. We did it for our country and for research to save other people’s lives. [Music] Now, unlike the late Mr. Kumizawa, many others in the unit were kept in the dark. One of the last surviving members, Hideo Shimizu, said in a more recent interview that he had no idea about the biological weapons program when he was drafted into its youth corp at the age of 14 until one day he was taken to a room full of wet specimens in jars. There were whole human bodies. There were body parts cut off from the rest. There was a baby, a fetus, still in a woman’s womb. There were many specimens like those. I couldn’t understand why it was necessary to do such things, even to a baby. When we were evacuating the site in the morning of August 14th, 1945, I was summoned to the trainee room. And I think it’s because I had seen the specimen room. I was handed a gun in a side mixture. I was ordered to commit suicide immediately if ever I were captured. using humans as materials for experiments and the fact that we also contributed to such deeds. It’s really regrettable. Now, listening to these horrific statements, we can understand why it’s been such a difficult chapter in history for both sides to deal with. And the Japanese government has acknowledged the existence of Unit 731, but refuses to discuss the alleged actions. Why is that? This goes to a a longer story I think in the ways that the Japanese government has dealt or not dealt with various accusations and war crimes um across a broader spectrum. Um so for example alongside Chinese victims of of the uh of unit 731 we also have the same issue with the comfort women who mostly Korean women who were forced into prostitution and had to serve uh the Japanese army. So I think the logic is the following. Um that the Japanese state refuses to um compensate any of these victims, refuses to engage with any meaningful dialogue of of recognition or or of um seeking any redress of justice. And I think Abby might be maybe cynical here, but I think the overall strategy is to is to wait out for the victims to eventually pass away. I think the other strategy is a legal one because because there was no recognition or discussion of these crimes these particular crimes in the Tokyo tribes right um back in 1945 1946 then of course the Japanese state has has no basically can argue that everything has already been sanctioned and recognized um and there’s nothing really to open um but of course these voices give us a very very different story and I think it’s very compelling that they actually come from the Japanese themselves um and of as what basically on on the video just shown here. We’re looking at a 95year-old uh witness, right, who was 14 at the time and it’s still actually I’m not sure if it was mentioned to your viewers, he did travel to China uh this year at that age in August to actually pay pay his his respects uh to to to China and to the victims as well. So I guess these are these are the symbols that perhaps we need to to focus on. Um I think the other thing to mention is that back in 2002 um the a jury a a a Tokyo trial did acknowledge what had happened the actions of the unit and yet despite that did not concede that the Japanese state had to redress the victims. So again this is a much longer story. Um and the sad parallels I guess with the other cases I mentioned is that there’s a systematic um blocking of seeking redress to any of these victims. That’s right. Well, Japan more broadly has issued apologies for the suffering its wartime actions inflicted on Chinese people and Beijing renounced it claims to compensations when the two countries normalized diplomatic ties back in 1972. Half a century on, why do Japan’s war crimes still matter? Well, it’s it’s a very interesting question, but essentially from the 1980s onwards, um the Chinese Communist Party has had to rebuild a sense of legitimacy. In the 50s and 60s, it was about revolution. It was about building social society. Once we have the death of Maong and the chaos and horrors of the cultural revolution, um the CCP has to look into other elements to boss it legitimacy. And one useful element which of course many governments use across the world is that of nationalism. So what we see here is another trend which I think has been heightened in the 21st century which is the the way that patriotic education is making its way into a very systematic way. And I think look the very clear slogan that for example any one of your viewers who will want to watch the trailer for this film will notice that one of the slogans that appear at the beginning says remember the past never forget national humiliation. It’s in a trailer but actually that’s one of the most important slogans that you’ll find in many ceremonies that are commemorating um the war of resistance as the Japanese as the Chinese call it um for this period. So this is something that is part of the social fabric of life of education. Um and it’s very much important to for the CCP for the Chinese Communist Party to bolster it legitimacy as a ruling party that can safeguard the interest of the Chinese nation. And I think one thing I would add as well is that um you we may argue that perhaps UNI 731 is not well known in other parts of the world. uh but in China is very well known and as a matter of fact I did consult with one of my Chinese students because I have several of them here Cindy um and high school textbooks you know talk very clearly about the events of unit 731 so it’s interesting that you you have this from again from high school education um and of course consolidated by museums and of course with the film of course echoing the 80th anniversary of the year of the wartime period. Well, Andreas, I have to interrupt you here because we are running out of time, but thank you so much again once again for joining us. Now, even though it’s not shown in Japan, the new film on Unit 731 has drawn a lot of attention in Japan and also sparked concern. Our Tokyo correspondent tells us more. Thursday, when the film was released, also marked the one-year anniversary of the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old Japanese boy while he was walking to Japanese school in Shenzhen in southern China. That school was closed yesterday, while uh other Japanese schools across China went online for their classes for the day. The Japanese embassy in Beijing has warned its citizens in the country of the dangers of rising anti-Japanese sentiment in in the wake of the film and warned its citizens to be careful when they’re out in public, particularly when they’re with their children. Now, meanwhile, in Japan, the recent lower house elections saw the rise of a right-wing party running on a Japanese first and anti-immigrant and anti-forigner platform and uh gathering considerable attention and votes. However, that’s not the whole picture. Um, more than 1 million Chinese visited Japan just last month. A growing number of well-off Chinese are making Tokyo their home. Meanwhile, at the World Athletics Championships, which are taking place now in Tokyo, it’s common to hear Japanese fans clapping for both Chinese and South Korean athletes when they do well, happy to see their fellow East Asians succeed on the world stage. So, while there certainly are tensions in the region, that’s not the whole story. That’s all for this edition of Access Asia. Thanks for watching and do stay tuned if you can. There’s more world news coming up. [Music]

“Evil Unbound,” a new film depicting the horrors of the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731 and its germ warfare programme, has hit cinemas across China and beyond. As the latest in a wave of patriotic films to find success at home, it sheds light on one of WWII’s darkest chapters – Unit 731, the covert military unit that conducted inhumane human experiments during the war. We take a deep dive into the historical reality behind the film, featuring testimonies from former Unit 731 members – many never before seen in Europe – and expert insight from Dr. Andres Rodriguez of the University of Sydney.
#Japan #China #731

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