Marutas of Unit 731: Human Experimentation of the Forgotten Asian Auschwitz

Uncovering Unit 731 #2

by Jenny Chan, Barbara Halperin (Editor)

Euphemistically labeled as the "Water Supply and Prophylaxis Administration" and "HippoEpizootic Administration" of the Imperial Japanese Army, Unit 731 and Unit 100, as well as their subsidiary branches, performed human experimentation on the innocents under the leadership of Dr. Ishii Shiro. The Kempeitai, AKA, the military police captured any patriots for Unit 731's prison. The prisoners included Chinese patriots, civilians, Russians, and allied POWs. Although the exact number of victims is unclear since the Japanese destroyed most of the evidence at the end of the war, but it ranged from 3,000-250,000 innocent men, women, and children. The cruel experiments and medical procedures were carried out by the brightest medical students and staff that Imperial Japan had to offer.

For the scientists to treat the prisoners less like humans, they called them "Marutas" or logs. The experimentations included their reaction to bubonic plague, typhoid, paratyphoid A and B, typhus, anthrax, smallpox, tularemia, infectious jaundice, gas gangrene, tetanus, cholera, dysentery, glanders, scarlet fever, undulant fever, tick encephalitis, "songo" or epidemic hemorrhagic fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, pneumonia, erysipelas, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, venereal diseases, tuberculosis, salmonella, frostbites, and many other viruses and bacteria. To observe the real-time effects of these deadly diseases and bacteria, these prisoners were often subject to vivisections without the use of anesthesia.

Then there was the ANTA testing ground where the human test subjects were exposed to bacterial weapons under field conditions. For example, to test weapons developed with gas gangrene, ten Chinese prisoners were tied to stakes from 10-20 meters apart, and a bomb was set off by electricity. All ten prisoners were injured by shrapnel contaminated with gas gangrene. Within a week, they all died in severe torment.

The study of the pathogens was also conducted with human experimentation. Vaccines were then developed to protect the Imperial Japanese Army in case they were to face a total war where they employ the bacteriological weapons produced by Unit 731. In the case where a human experimental subject was exhausted from the experiments, they were to be killed one way or another. Some test subjects were handed potassium cyanides, while others had porridge with heroin.

These "medical doctors" who performed routine human experiments were allowed to escape persecution, unlike their Nazi counterparts in Europe. Most of them were rewarded handsomely with great careers after the war. Not only did they not face any consequences, but most of them also lived successfully after the war was over.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Japan, China, Asia, Crime, World War II

102 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2020

Reviews

[Forrest · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ranks among the saddest and most horrific and barbaric atrocities committed by humans against other human beings that we know of in human history. In contrast to the Nazi death camps in Europe, not a single victim left Unit 731 alive.

Some parts of the book are poorly edited, and I noticed a couple obvious mistakes. The latter portion of the book is kind of a slog as it is just a list of ailments that afflicted the victims. It appears some of the material was raw data pulled from doctor manuscripts.

All that we know of Unit 731 is what has been shared by the former guards, doctors, nurses and other individuals recruited to work at the secret facility during Soviet trials and interrogations of those involved who have been captured and brought to justice. Other troves of information have also been found by Soviet soldiers after the facility had been bombed and abandoned.

Surgeon General Siro Ishii is commonly referred to as Japan's version of Josef Mengele, "the angel of death" who also performed live human experiences on victims of Nazi death camps. Unfortunately, just like Dr. Mengele, Ishii was never held accountable for his horrific crimes.

This book provides a quick overview of Japan's Unit 731 which was located in China's Manchuria and details some of the ways in which victims were subjected to barbaric, gruesome experiments conducted in the name of science and the advancement of Japan's military technology.

[Peyton 💕 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing, disturbing, and a must-read to understand imperialist Japan. I will never forget this book and what I learned. I desperately hope that Shirō Ishii is ROTTING in the depths of hell.

[Luís Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very important document to further expose the most monstrous and abhorrent crimes against humanity ever committed.
Supremacist and ultra-racist Japan committed crimes that shocked even their German allies famously known for their crimes in Auschwitz and Birkenau.
RELEVANT DOCUMENTARIES ON THE SUBJECT:
https://nomadicthoughts.blogs.sapo.pt...

Amazingly, in the West, everyone watched tonnes of Hollywood's Auschwitz-related movies and documentaries, while few ever heard of the Japanese horror machine named UNIT 731 (in China).

Dehumanize the Chinese is the first step before start making up crimes the Chinese are NOT committing in Tibet or in the Xinjiang.
FOR THE SKEPTICAL MINDS:
https://nomadicthoughts.blogs.sapo.pt...

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very heavy topic

This is not light reading. It is an account that details the extent humans can exploit other humans. It also gives insight in to the hidden world behind war. I ended up jumping over sections that repeated results of Experiments. The outcomes always were death.

[Eduardo "Peixe" Faiguenboim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting there would be more details about rhis bizarre story.

[陳雪鳳🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides important notes in Japanese about the human experimentation of Japan. However, there are not many testimonies were shown inside the book.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accounts of World War II make me wonder if there has ever been a time filled with more intentionally caused human suffering than the 1940s.

The writing in this book left something to be desired. I feel that the author got lost in the technical details (bomb specs, exhaustive lists of symptoms etc) and missed the narrative, non-fic story-telling aspect that could have made this a more enjoyable read. There were also frequent unclear sentences and grammatical errors.

Otherwise, it was an informative read on a topic with very little surviving evidence.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give high reviews due to the amount of research provided when it is estimated only 0.1 percent documentation survived.
The atrocities within Nazi Germany are on par with the war crimes Japan committed.
What is truly interesting is the information gleaned...it was defensive and offensive. Not only did they learn effects of typhoid but how to treat it, how to treat frostbite, but they were ruthless even barbaric.
History repeats itself...

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't the most earth shattering read, it was useful since it was able to back up a lot of other sources. It read more as a research paper (pretty sure it originally was) so it wasn't too difficult to get through. Think it would be a useful read to anyone who is starting to look into Unit 731 and the history around it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The little known dark and twisted chapter of WW2 involves the Japanese performing their own version of the Holocaust but on Chinese and Manchurian people. It's hard to read. It's ugly and unbelievable.

[Malika · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt awkward rating this book...

[Cal Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening look into a lesser known evil of the 2nd World War.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a list of statistics and biological weapons than a deep look at Unit 731. Short and sharp.

[George]

Horrifying, dark, unbelievable

[Madeleine Swindell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to read but important to recognize and remember.

[Julio Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy interesante