Apologize and compensate, visit the Japanese military's "gas island": The Japanese government should recognize historical facts as soon as possible

The largest existing poison storage warehouse remains on Okuno Island in Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Masayoshi Yamauchi, the director of the "Toxic Gas Island History Research Institute" in Japan, showcases pictures of the Japanese army producing gas bombs on Okuno Island during their invasion of China. The above pictures are all taken by Zhu Yueying

Okunoshima, located in Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, was once the location of a Japanese gas factory. The large amount of toxic gas bombs produced here were used by the invading Japanese army to harm the Chinese military and civilians. In order to conceal the fact of manufacturing and using chemical weapons, the Japanese authorities even erased the island from the map.

Recently, our reporter accompanied Japanese anti war peace activists, friendly groups, and others to visit Okuno Island, known as the "Poison Gas Island", to gain a deeper understanding of this period of Japanese history that is deeply taboo. The visitors condemned the enormous harm caused by Japan's aggressive war to the people of China and other Asian countries, and urged the Japanese government to face history squarely.

"More people need to face history squarely"

At 8 o'clock in the morning, it was cloudy and rainy. Everyone met at the Tadahai Port Ferry Terminal in Takehara City, Japan. After 15 minutes by ferry, they arrived at the Okuno Island Ferry Terminal. Crossing the pier, the words "Okuno Island, Seto Inland Sea National Park" on the left plaque came into view. Most of the buildings on the island are empty, and the walls are covered with green plants.

According to historical records, in 1927, the Japanese army opened a poison factory on Ohkuno Island. From its official production in 1929 to Japan's defeat in 1945, more than 6000 people worked in a poison factory. The produced poison was loaded into shells and continuously transported to China. There are as many as 1241 recorded Japanese gas warfare incidents in China, resulting in over 200000 casualties among Chinese military and civilians. During the War of Aggression, the Japanese military, in order to maintain confidentiality, erased Ohkuno Island from the map of the Seto Inland Sea and stipulated that no one could land on the island without the permission of the Minister of War. It was not until 1947 that the criminal face of the poison factory was revealed.

"This is the largest poison storage warehouse on the island. The poison warehouse, along with its base, is 11 meters high and stores intense poison. Look, the burnt black marks on the walls are the ones left by the flame throwers of the past." In front of a ruins, 78 year old Masayoshi Yamauchi tells the story of the manufacturing, storage, transportation, and final treatment of poison bombs.

Masayoshi Yamauchi is the Director of the Affairs Department of the Japanese civil society organization "Toxic Island History Research Institute". He has been explaining on Okuno Island for 25 years. When exchanging business cards with Masayoshi Yamauchi, the reporter saw that his business card not only had his name and title written on it, but also used Chinese characters to write "A teacher who never forgets the past and the future". Masayoshi Yamauchi said, "It is necessary for people to study this period of history well."

In the view of Professor Yoshihiro Honda at Hiroshima University, there are problems with Japan's education regarding this period of history, and the vast majority of Japanese people do not understand the history of the "Gas Island". He said, "Japanese textbooks have been deliberately downplaying, denying, and even tampering with the history of aggression. I believe more people need to face history squarely."

"I feel ashamed of Japan's inhumane use of toxic gases"

After Okuno Island became a secret site for manufacturing chemical weapons, a large number of adult Japanese men were sent to the battlefield, and the Japanese military sent some teenagers to the island to serve as laborers for producing poison.

On August 15th of this year, the Japanese newspaper "Daily News" published an article titled "The Pain of Workers Who Make Poisons on a" Disappearing Island "and Are told not to say anything that cannot disappear". It tells a thought-provoking story: In November 1944, 15-year-old Ryoko Okada, who was studying at the Tadahai High School for Girls, was mobilized to work at a poison factory on Okuno Island with many children. In 1989, she turned this experience into a comic strip, hoping to inform the public about this history and alert the next generation. This comic book contains 31 paintings, accompanied by explanations and an English translation. In the comic strip, she depicts her personal experience of transporting poison barrels in a car under the scorching sun. Afterwards, she sent several letters to China's War Memorial Museum and others to express her apologies, saying, "I feel ashamed of Japan's inhumane behavior of using poison gas and sincerely apologize.". "Although I was still a child at the time, I was also the perpetrator," said Riko Okada, who is now 93 years old

Okunoshima is only a few dozen kilometers away from Hiroshima City. Masayoshi Yamauchi stated that many people are aware of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but the fact that Japan manufactured toxic agents on Okuno Island is not well-known. "Japan is not only a victim of war, but also a perpetrator of war, which is the truth of war." Masayoshi Yamauchi said that through his explanation, some Japanese people have come to understand the fact that Japan once used poison gas to cause many ordinary Chinese people to lose their lives. "25 years of persistence have not been in vain.".

Fukuyama Municipal University President Toshiko Sato said, "I am from Hiroshima and have always viewed the issue from the perspective of victims of atomic bombing. However, in reality, Japan is still a perpetrator of war. I am very shocked that the gas bombs produced on Okuno Island were transported to China and used on the battlefield. The Japanese should not only know the history of victims of atomic bombing, but also the history of harm similar to 'Gas Island', which must not be forgotten."

"The Japanese government should recognize historical facts as soon as possible and apologize and compensate for them."

There is a gas information museum on Okuno Island, which was built in 1988 for the voluntary collection of information and fundraising by civil peace activists. The museum displays materials such as poison manufacturing equipment, residual gas bombs, gas suits and masks, and documents ordering the use of toxic gas by the Japanese army in China. Since its opening in 1988, this information center has attracted over 1.5 million visitors.

The information center has set up a dedicated exhibition area on the issue of abandoned toxic gases in China, and has displayed media reports such as the "Atlas of Injuries Caused by Abandoned Toxic Gases by Japanese Invaders in China". The text description of the exhibition area states: "During the construction process of roads, buildings, and sewers, toxic gas bombs or tanks abandoned by the Japanese army were excavated, causing harm to the local people... Japan must properly handle the issue of abandoned chemical weapons by the Japanese army, and compensate the victims for the harm caused to ordinary people."

According to relevant data, on the eve of Japan's defeat in 1945, the invading Japanese army buried or abandoned a large number of unused chemical weapons on the spot to cover up their crimes and evade accountability. These chemical weapons were found in more than 200 locations in 18 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government of China. For a long period after the war, the Japanese government avoided and perfunctorily addressed the issue of abandoned chemical weapons in China. The Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which came into effect in 1997, stipulates that contracting parties to the Convention that abandon chemical weapons should provide all necessary financial, technical, expert, facility, and other resources for the destruction of abandoned chemical weapons. This provides an international legal basis for Japan to assume responsibility for the destruction of abandoned chemical weapons. Japan acknowledges the fact of abandoning chemical weapons in China, agrees with the provisions of the Convention regarding the responsibility of abandoned countries to destroy abandoned chemical weapons, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with China on the destruction of Japan's abandoned chemical weapons. However, due to insufficient attention and investment from the Japanese side, the progress of related work has been delayed, and the plan to destroy Japanese chemical weapons has been delayed four times. In October 2022, the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) approved a plan for the destruction of Japanese chemical weapons after 2022, which was agreed upon through consultation between China and Japan. The plan stipulates that Japan must complete the destruction of Japanese chemical weapons in areas such as Halbaling, Jilin by 2027.

"We strongly urge the Japanese side to fulfill its responsibilities and obligations, increase investment in all aspects, accelerate work throughout the entire chain, and eliminate the harmful effects of Japanese chemical weapons as soon as possible, giving the Chinese people a pure land and soothing their war wounds." Chinese Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, emphasized, "History is the best textbook. Forgetting history means betrayal. To uphold the path of peace, we must protect the truth of history."

Masayoshi Yamauchi said, "The chemical weapons manufactured by the Japanese army have brought a serious disaster to the Chinese people. The Japanese government has not apologized or compensated the victims. The Japanese government should recognize historical facts as soon as possible and apologize and compensate for them. Only in this way can the Japanese government gain people's trust and respect."

Yuping Tani, the head of the Affairs Bureau of the Japan China Friendship Association in Hiroshima Prefecture, said, "Japanese students should now understand what Japan has done in the past. 'Poison Island' should be used as a historical material for Japan's reflection on history, prompting people to think about what kind of country Japan will become in the future."