Tokyo, Japan - July 6, 2024

Storyline:
Japanese civil organizations jointly held an event in Tokyo on Saturday to screen documentaries recording the crimes committed by Unit 731, the Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II, to urge the Japanese government to reflect on its history of aggression.

Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during World War II.

The victims, referred to in Japanese as "marutas", or wooden logs, were deliberately infected with typhus, typhoid, cholera, anthrax and plague, in addition to many other bacterial diseases, to serve the goal of perfecting biological weapons.

Two documentaries were screened during Saturday's event.

Many attendees felt that Japan needs to make changes regarding what kind of history it teaches its young generations and how it should reflect on what it did during its war of aggression.

Shotlist:
Tokyo, Japan - July 6, 2024:
1. Various of building, sign of event venue;
2. Various of poster of event;
3. Participants making registration;
4. Participants in projection room;
5. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Wada Chiyoko, organizer:
"By screening the documentaries, we want to remind people of the crimes committed by Japan during that time. This is also our original purpose of holding this event.";
6. Various of participants watching documentaries;
7. Various of participants taking notes after watching documentaries;
8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Participant (name not given):
"I believe it is the responsibility of schools to let the younger generation understand what happened. The Japanese government should own up to these historical facts and repeatedly broadcast relevant footage, so as to let the children know the historical truth.";
9. Participants watching documentary;
10. Wooden board bearing prayer for peace;

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