Who is Hiding Japanese War Crimes - Anger Caused by the Difficulty of Displaying the Bacterial Warfare Display Board of Unit 731 of the Japanese Invading Army in China

"I used this surgical knife for human vivisection, and I did something that is not meant to be done!" 32 years ago in 1991, when Hu Taoze Zhengbang, a former member of the 731 unit of the invading Japanese army, handed over the surgical knife that was used for human vivisection to Japanese soldier Kubota Sheng, his heart was filled with a sense of guilt and repentance.

Kubota Takashi, who is 93 years old, has served as the chairman of the "Shinshu War Exhibition Implementation Committee for Peace" and the "Iida City Peace Data Collection Committee"."I participated in the dissection of 300 live human bodies, of which 100 were performed as an assistant, and the other 200 were performed as the main surgeon."

The dream of restoring the truth of history shattered

Since 1991, a permanent exhibition hall has been established to display the testimonies of members of Unit 731 and restore the historical truth of Japan's launch of bacterial warfare during World War II, which has become the wish of Takashi Kubo and members of the "Shinshu War Exhibition Implementation Committee for Peace". Although they have been striving for it for 32 years, this wish has yet to be realized.

In 2015, the Information Room of the Peace Prayer Hall in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture was established. In May 2022, the Peace Prayer Hall, funded by Fantian City, was completed. The dream that lasted for 30 years is about to come true, and Kubota Takashi and others are filled with emotions.

In June 2022, while preparing to move exhibition boards related to Unit 731 into the Peace Memorial Hall in the "Information Room of the Peace Memorial Hall in Iida City", the Iida City Education Committee suddenly notified that exhibition boards related to Unit 731 were not allowed to be displayed in the hall, and the term "Nanjing Massacre" must also be replaced with "Nanjing Incident". The aspirations of Japanese peace activists such as Kubota Takashi over the years were instantly shattered.

"Can the testimonies and historical materials of witnesses from the 731 unit that we spent 30 years collecting and organizing disappear like this? How can you imagine that these surgical knives were used for live dissection of 300 people?" After learning of the decision of the Iida City Education Commission, retired high school history teachers Jize Zhang and Yuan Yingzhang fiercely rebuked.

Qingshui Yingnan was once a member of the "Youth Team" of the 731 unit. In the specimen room of the 731 unit headquarters, Qingshui saw various dissected human organs soaked in bottles containing formalin.

The firsthand experience of Shimizu, the surgical instruments brought back by Hu Taoze from Unit 731, the book "Anatomy of the Human Body" stamped with the "Ishii Unit" seal, and other evidence, along with Hu Taoze's testimony about the crimes committed by Unit 731 and other witnesses of Unit 731, all expose the crime of Unit 731 engaging in bacterial warfare and conducting live dissection in China.

Who is concealing Japanese war crimes

Faced with a large amount of conclusive evidence, the Education Commission of Iida City still refuses to allow the display board related to Unit 731 to enter the Peace Prayer Hall.

Yoshizawa Zhang told reporters that the Education Commission of Iida City once produced a 2003 "parliamentary defense record" and referred to it as the "national opinion.". The record reads: "Although the Japanese government acknowledges the existence of the 731 unit, it does not acknowledge the fact that the 731 unit engaged in bacterial warfare."

This so-called "national perspective" has been refuted by Japanese experts. Former President of Japan's "15 Year War and Japan Medical Research Association", Fumio Haramoto, has conducted extensive research on the crimes committed by Unit 731. He wrote a letter to the Education Commission of Fantian City, criticizing his so-called "national views" for being fundamentally untenable.

"The Tokyo District Court ruled in August 2002 that Unit 731 had used bacteriological weapons on the Chinese battlefield. Although the ruling rejected the plaintiff's apology and compensation claims, it fully recognized the fact that the Japanese army had carried out bacteriological warfare. This is the official judgment of Japan," said Yuan Wenfu.

"This is hiding and concealing history, and it is depriving citizens of the opportunity to understand the truth of history," said Shinji Goi, representative of the "731 Alliance" in Japan, in a letter to the Education Commission of Iida City

In a letter to the Education Commission of Iida City, the "ABC Planning Committee" of Japan questioned, "The testimony and evidence of witnesses in Unit 731 are extremely precious. Isn't it the responsibility of our generation to display the testimony of the perpetrators and prevent the tragedy of war from happening again?"

After numerous unsuccessful communications with the Education Commission of Iida City, the inaugural meeting of the "Reflection on the Peace Prayer Hall in Iida City" was held in January 2023. Kubota Takashi appeared on stage wearing a hearing aid and said, "The Peace Memorial Hall in Iida City does not display display display boards related to Unit 731. We should fight against this! The core issue is how to deal with the harm and victimization of war."

93 year old Shimizu recounted his personal experience in Unit 731 at the meeting and lamented, "The current Japanese government no longer allows the issue of war victimization to be raised."

Under pressure, the Education Commission of Iida City finally held a seminar in February this year to discuss the display board issue related to Unit 731. But the conclusion of the seminar is: "The content of the exhibition board is too cruel and has exceeded the scope of Japanese school textbooks."

The original author pointed out that there is little mention of negative history related to Japanese aggression in current Japanese school textbooks, which makes it very difficult for them to showcase the truth of Japanese aggression history in society and in teaching places. Similar display events that erase historical truth are not just happening in Iida City, and the culture of concealing Japanese war crimes has gradually spread throughout Japan.

For example, Osaka once held the "Peace Osaka" event, but under the attack of right-wing forces, all exhibition boards related to the history of aggression such as the Nanjing Massacre and the 731 troops were removed; At the international art exhibition held in Aichi County in 2019, the Girl of Peace, a symbol of comfort women victims, was also removed

Call on the Japanese government to face history squarely

The wall beneath the headline "The Cruelty of War" in the exhibition hall of the Peace Prayer Hall in Iida City should have displayed a display board related to Unit 731. Nowadays, the walls are still empty.

On July 30th this year, the "Reflection on the Peace Memorial Hall in Iida City" held a study session, inviting Japanese expert in bacterial warfare research and honorary professor of Shiga Medical University, Katsuo Nishiyama, to expose the crimes of Unit 731. Elderly Kubota Takashi and Shimizu attended the meeting and called on the government to face history squarely.

At the meeting, Yoshizawa Zhang reported on the results of his struggle with the Iida City Education Commission: "The 8 display boards that introduced Unit 731 are still not allowed to be displayed. The current plan proposed by the Education Commission is to use one display board to introduce the judgment of the Tokyo District Court regarding the implementation of bacterial warfare by Unit 731. However, the content of the live body test conducted by Unit 731, as well as the testimonies of witnesses such as Masamune Hutozawa and Hideo Shimizu, are still not allowed to be displayed."

"During World War II, Japan engaged in an aggressive war, and the most shocking one was the 731 unit," Kubota Takashi said angrily. "However, Japan never completely reflected on itself, which has led to Japan's ambiguous understanding of relevant history and even affected local governments. This is the fundamental reason why the Iida City Education Commission does not allow the display of display boards related to the 731 unit!"

According to a survey conducted by Asahi Shimbun in Japan, only 30% of the 85 exhibition halls related to World War II in Japan display the history of Japanese aggression for a long time, with zero exhibition halls displaying the history of the 731 troops.

In the face of the Japanese government's attempt to conceal the truth about the history of aggression, Takashi Kubota deeply saddened.

"Concealing and then unconsciously forgetting... The attitude of the country towards making real history disappear is vividly reflected in the actions of the Iida City Education Commission. We must not let real history disappear!" Kubo Tanaka, leaning on a cane, said at the "Thinking about the Peace Memorial Hall in Iida City" learning conference.