Japan - August 26, 2024

A former member of Unit 731, the notorious Japanese germ-warfare detachment operating in northeast China during World War II, has urged Japan to face up to its wartime past, take history as a mirror and work towards peace.

After a 79-year hiatus, Hideo Shimizu, 94, returned to China to acknowledge the crimes committed by the Japanese aggressor troops invading China and to offer sincere repentance and apologies to the victims.

Shimizu arrived in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on the evening of Aug 12. The following morning, he visited the former site of Unit 731's headquarters building in the city, including the office of the unit commander, the specimen room, and the site of the frostbite laboratory.

Back to Japan on Aug 15, Shimizu attended a press conference on Monday to explain his reflections on his repentance journey in China, with the aim of enlightening more young Japanese people about the truths of history.

Shimizu was among the last batch of Unit 731 Youth Corps members sent by Japan to Harbin, where he spent more than four months reflecting on the war crimes committed by the unit, including the cultivation of pathogens, life human dissections and life human experiments.

Shimizu said that visiting the former site of Unit 731 brought back memories from his time in the unit, once again deeply impressing upon him the horrors of war and the grave sins of the Japanese aggressor troops in their invasion of China.

During the stay in Harbin, the veteran bowed in front of the Monument of Atonement and Peaceful Non-War. But the apology can't be felt by the victims who have gone, which is a torture in itself, Shimizu said.

At the press conference, he also repeatedly urged the Japanese government to acknowledge historical truths, hoping that both nations could foster a friendly relationship.

Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that engaged in lethal human experimentation and biological weapons manufacturing in China during World War II. The unit is estimated to have killed between 200,000 and 300,000 people. It was based in the Pingfang District of Harbin, the largest city in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo (now Northeast China, formerly named Manchuria) and had active branch offices throughout China and Southeast Asia.

Unit 731 was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes committed by the Japanese aggressor troops. It routinely conducted tests on people who were dehumanized and internally referred to as "logs". Experiments included disease injections, controlled dehydration, biological weapons testing, hypobaric pressure chamber testing, vivisection, organ procurement, amputation, and standard weapons testing. Victims included not only kidnapped men, women (including pregnant women) and children but also babies born from the systemic rape perpetrated by the staff inside the compound.

Shotlist:
Japan - Aug 26, 2024:
Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Aug 13, 2024
1. Various of Monument of Atonement and Peaceful Non-War; Hideo Shimizu, former member of Japanese germ warfare Army Unit 731 Youth Corps bowing, offering apology in front of monument;
Japan - Aug 26, 2024
2. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Hideo Shimizu, former member of Japanese germ warfare Army Unit 731 Youth Corps (ending with shot 3):
"My long-held desire to apologize to the people who died in the hands of Unit 731 has finally been realized after 79 years. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people from all walks of life including those with the exhibition hall that exposes our crimes, the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, etc, for such hospitality, which I never expected to receive.";
Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Aug 13, 2024
3. Various of former site of Unit 731;
4. Words on stone reading "former site of Unit 731";
5. Shimizu, Jin Chengmin, curator of Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by Japanese Army Unit 731, walking;
6. Various of Shimizu visits old office of Unit 731, former site of bacteria lab;
Japan - Aug 26, 2024
7. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Hideo Shimizu, former member of Japanese germ warfare Army Unit 731 Youth Corps:
"I deeply feel regretful to those who were treated as maruta (prisoners infected with lethal pathogens). With such a regretful mood, I visited the former site of Unit 731. I've always hoped to be able to apologize for my guilt.";
Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Aug 13, 2024
8. Various of Shimizu at former site of bacteria lab, talking to companions;
9. Monument of Atonement and Peaceful Non-War;
10. Various of Shimizu bowing, offering apology in front of monument;
Japan - Aug 26, 2024
11. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Hideo Shimizu, former member of Japanese germ warfare Army Unit 731 Youth Corps:
"If they (the victims) can ever feel my regret, I can feel a little better in my heart. But those who can forgive us are no longer here. With such a mood, I offer my apology in front of the Monument of Atonement and Peaceful Non-War.";
12. Press conference;
FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown
13. Various of traffic;
Japan - Aug 26, 2024
14. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Hideo Shimizu, former member of Japanese germ warfare Army Unit 731 Youth Corps (ending with shot 15): "I hope the Japanese government will tell the truth about the history. We have all seen the specimen room and I hope that the Japanese government will recognize the fact of the history. I also hope that the people of our two countries can get along well with each other.";
FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown
15. Various of National Diet, security, traffic.

[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]