The Unspeakable Things That Happened In Unit 731

Summary

This video script delves into the dark history of Japan's Unit 731 during WWII, revealing horrific atrocities committed against Chinese citizens. It explores the political and racial motivations behind these acts, including Japan's quest for respect and the influence of Western powers. The narrative exposes the inhumane medical experiments conducted by Shiro Ishii and his unit, emphasizing the tragic scale of suffering and the subsequent immunity granted to the perpetrators by the U.S., highlighting a disturbing chapter in history.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script discusses often overlooked or forgotten historical events, emphasizing the political and cultural reasons behind their obscurity.
• 🚫 The video warns viewers of the graphic and disturbing content, advising discretion and suitability for mature audiences.
• 🌏 It addresses accusations of spreading propaganda and clarifies the intention to present factual history, regardless of national or ethnic sentiments.
• 🇯🇵 The script outlines Japan's historical context, including its period of isolation and subsequent modernization, which was driven by a determination to avoid foreign domination.
• 🛑 The video highlights the stark contrast between Japan's rapid modernization and the Western powers' reluctance to see Japan as an equal due to racial bias and geopolitical interests.
• 💥 It describes the rise of Japan as a military dictatorship and its transformation into a fascist state, influenced by a combination of nationalism, militarism, and a distorted version of Bushido.
• 🇨🇳 The atrocities committed by Japan in China during World War II are detailed, including the exploitation and experimentation on Chinese people under occupation.
• 🧬 Unit 731 is introduced as a covert unit responsible for horrific medical experiments and biological warfare, led by Shiro Ishii, a figure likened to Nazi war criminals.
• 🔪 The script vividly describes the inhumane experiments conducted by Unit 731, including exposure to diseases, chemical agents, and extreme conditions, often resulting in the victims' agonizing deaths.
• 🏥 The medical professionals involved in these atrocities are portrayed as having been motivated by a twisted sense of scientific curiosity and a disregard for human life.
• 🤝 Post-war, the United States granted immunity to Shiro Ishii and his accomplices in exchange for the potential use of their research in future conflicts, a decision that raises ethical questions.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video script?

The primary focus of the video script is to discuss a relatively forgotten and horrific period in Chinese history, specifically the atrocities committed by the Japanese during World War II, including the activities of Unit 731.

Why does the video script mention the Nan King event and the Holocaust?

The script mentions the Nan King event and the Holocaust to establish the context of the video, highlighting the creators' commitment to covering historical atrocities that have been overlooked or ignored, and to address accusations of spreading propaganda in previous videos.

What was the historical context of Japan's isolation from the world?

Japan was isolated from the world from the early 17th century until the mid-19th century by order of the ruling Shoguns, who allowed only limited foreign contact on a small island near Nagasaki and prohibited Japanese from leaving the country.

How did Japan's perception of the West change after World War I?

After World War I, many Japanese felt that they had been shortchanged by the Western powers in the post-war settlements, leading to a belief that the West was biased against them and unwilling to treat them as equals.

What were the two main goals of Japan during the Meiji Restoration?

The two main goals of Japan during the Meiji Restoration were to modernize the country as quickly as possible and to prevent the Western countries from exerting the same level of control over Japan as they had in China.

What is the significance of Shiro Ishii and Unit 731 in the script?

Shiro Ishii and Unit 731 are significant as they represent the extreme atrocities committed by the Japanese military during World War II, particularly in the development and use of chemical and biological weapons against Chinese civilians.

What was the official name and actual purpose of Unit 731?

The official name of Unit 731 was 'Water Purification Unit 731', but its actual purpose was to conduct inhumane experiments on Chinese prisoners to develop biological and chemical weapons.

What kind of experiments were conducted by Unit 731?

Unit 731 conducted a variety of horrific experiments, including exposure to deadly germs, chemical and biological warfare agents, extreme temperatures, and invasive surgical procedures, often without anesthesia.

Why was Shiro Ishii not prosecuted after the war?

Shiro Ishii was not prosecuted after the war because the U.S. military government granted him immunity in exchange for the data he collected during the war, which they believed could be useful in future conflicts.

What was the impact of the Japanese military's actions on the Chinese population during the occupation?

The Japanese military's actions during the occupation had a devastating impact on the Chinese population, with estimates of Chinese losses ranging from 10 to 20 million people between 1936 and 1945.

How did the video script address the issue of Western bias against Japan?

The script addresses Western bias by discussing how Japan's victories over China and Russia were not fully recognized by the Western powers, contributing to a sense of resentment and perceived racial and ethnic discrimination against the Japanese.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Historical Video Content Warning

This paragraph sets the stage for a video that delves into a dark and often overlooked chapter of history. It emphasizes the importance of presenting factual information about events that have been forgotten or ignored due to political reasons or national and ethnic biases. The video warns viewers of its graphic content, relating to the inhumane treatment of people in China, and refutes accusations of spreading propaganda. It also highlights the historical context of Japan's isolation and subsequent opening to the West, leading to a desire to modernize and avoid the fate of colonization suffered by China.

05:03

🏛️ Japan's Struggle for Recognition and the Roots of Atrocities

This paragraph explores the complex relationship between Japan and the Western world, focusing on racial biases and the perception of Japan's rapid modernization and military victories. It discusses Japan's achievements and the Western reluctance to see them as equals, which contributed to a sense of injustice among the Japanese. The narrative then shifts to the rise of Japanese militarism and fascism in the 1930s and 1940s, influenced by a distorted sense of ethnic superiority and loyalty to the emperor, which laid the groundwork for the atrocities committed against the Chinese during the Japanese occupation.

10:05

🧪 The Horrors of Unit 731: Japan's Secret Biological Warfare

This paragraph details the chilling activities of Unit 731, led by Shiro Ishii, who conducted inhumane experiments on Chinese prisoners during World War II. The unit, under the guise of a water purification unit, performed a range of brutal tests including germ warfare, chemical injections, and surgeries that were nothing short of sadistic. The paragraph outlines the various methods of experimentation and the sheer scale of human suffering caused by these actions, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

15:08

🕊️ Post-War Impunity and Legacy of Unit 731

The final paragraph discusses the aftermath of World War II for Unit 731 and its leader, Shiro Ishii. Despite the heinous crimes committed, Ishii was granted immunity by the U.S. authorities due to the potential value of the data collected during his experiments. The paragraph also mentions the fate of other members of the unit, some of whom were imprisoned but not executed, and the fact that they were able to hold reunions in Japan after the war. It ends with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content, highlighting the importance of remembering and understanding history.

Keywords

💡Unit 731

Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It was responsible for some of the most egregious war crimes, including human experimentation and the development of deadly pathogens. In the video, it is depicted as a 'relatively forgotten and horrible place' in China where 'human beings were treated in many ways worse than lab animals by other human beings,' illustrating the inhumane acts committed under its operations.

💡Ethnic Superiority

Ethnic superiority is the belief that one's own ethnic group is inherently better than others. The video discusses how this concept was promoted by the Japanese military government, leading to the dehumanization and brutal treatment of the Chinese during Japan's occupation. It is a central theme as it underpins the atrocities committed by Unit 731 and the broader Japanese military.

💡Holocaust

Highlights

The video discusses often-forgotten or ignored historical events, emphasizing the importance of understanding the context behind these events.

The Nanjing Massacre is highlighted as a particularly brutal event in Chinese history, with a warning about the graphic nature of the content.

The video refutes accusations of spreading Chinese Communist propaganda, emphasizing the factual nature of the content presented.

Japan's isolationist policy prior to the mid-19th century is contrasted with its rapid modernization and military success against larger nations.

The unequal treaties and foreign influence in China during the 19th century are discussed, illustrating the exploitation and suffering of the Chinese people.

Japan's desire for recognition and equality by Western powers is contrasted with the racial biases and colonial interests that hindered this recognition.

The rise of Japanese militarism and fascism in the 1930s is detailed, showing the ideological underpinnings of their actions during World War II.

Unit 731 and its leader Shiro Ishii are introduced as central figures in the development and use of chemical and biological warfare against China.

The inhumane experiments conducted by Unit 731, including exposure to diseases, chemical agents, and extreme conditions, are described.

The video discusses the immunity granted to Shiro Ishii and members of Unit 731 by the United States, highlighting the controversial decision to protect them for potential future use.

The legacy of Unit 731 and its impact on post-war Japan, including reunions of its members, is briefly mentioned.

The video emphasizes the importance of understanding historical atrocities to prevent their recurrence, stressing the role of education and awareness.

The role of the media, education, and mass rallies in promoting Japanese ethnocentrism and militarism is discussed.

The Chinese perspective on Japan's historical actions, including feelings of exploitation and resentment, is briefly touched upon.

The video provides a historical context for understanding the actions of the Japanese military in China, including the invasion and occupation.

The impact of Western influence on Japan, including the adoption of Western fashion and culture, is contrasted with Japanese traditionalism and conservatism.

The video calls for an open-minded approach to historical research, urging viewers to conduct their own investigations into the events presented.

Transcripts

many videos we produce at a day in

history cover topics many people don't

know much about some of these events

have been largely forgotten or ignored

over time sometimes this forgetting

isn't simply the product of time but of

politics and peculiar National and

ethnic blind spots today's video covers

one of those latter topics

some of our more recent videos covering

topics such as the Romanian part in the

Holocaust the rape of non-king and our

videos on the Holocaust itself have

started with very explicit warnings

about the videos as content this episode

of a day in history is no different and

perhaps warrants a more serious caution

about what you're about to see this

video is the story of a relatively

forgotten and horrible place in China

where human beings were treated in many

ways worse than lab animals by other

human beings please use discretion when

watching this video it's only for adults

or older teens watching with adults

after watching our video on the Nan King

event some commenters decided without

any proof that we were spreading Chinese

Communist propaganda first none of what

we reported is untrue It All Happened do

your own research and find out second

the writer of that and this ripped lived

in Japan for a time and taught there he

had nothing but admiration for Japan and

the Japanese of today 21st century Japan

resembles 1940s Japan as much as today's

Germany resembles the Nazi era that is

not at all but the Japanese of the World

War II era committed horrible crimes

facts are facts

horrible atrocities have occurred in

almost every nation and culture in

history they occur most often when

ordered and encouraged by the country's

leadership unfortunately one of the

things we have learned through history

is that many people will become absolute

brutes and monsters when they're

encouraged to do so or know they will

face no legal consequences for their

actions at least not from their

government

[Music]

foreign

has a unique history from the early 17th

century until the mid-19th century the

island nation was isolated from the

World by order of the ruling Shoguns the

military leaders who ruled in the name

of the emperor foreigners were only

allowed on one small island near

Nagasaki and no Japanese at all were

allowed to leave ever this all changed

in

1853-54 when American naval officer

Matthew C Perry forcibly opened Japan to

International Trade what the naval

officers and Marines in Perry's Fleet

saw when they came ashore in Japan

shocked them Japan had been suspended in

time since the early 1600s it buildings

clothing and especially weapons were 200

years behind America and the Western

World at the same time China was

becoming almost a vassal state of

European countries sections of the

country were under virtual foreign Rule

and the Chinese had been forced to sign

a series of what historians call the

unequal treaties foreigners enjoyed

favorable trade conditions which allowed

them to profit greatly while many

Chinese suffered additionally in those

parts of China known as concessions

under European control or influence

European citizens and soldiers and later

Americans were subject to their own law

not that of China this included crimes

committed against Chinese for all of

these reasons and more the Japanese were

determined not to let that happen to

their own country playing one nation

against another and occasionally using

the threat of violent uprisings against

the Western Powers who came to trade in

Japan while at the same time

understanding the limits of their own

power and compromising with the West

when necessary the Japanese set

themselves two main goals to modernize

their country as quickly as possible and

to prevent the Western countries from

doing to Japan what they were doing in

China after a period of civil Strife the

emperor Meiji was given executive power

over the nation and the Shoguns were no

more from 1871 until 1905 the Japanese

went from a country living in the 1600s

to a modern industrial nation with

modern Armed Forces to the surprise of

everyone except the Japanese Japan won

two Wars in 1896 against China in

1905-05 against the Russian Empire the

Russian defeat shocked the world and

Japan wanted to be seen as an equal by

the modern Western powers

unfortunately Japan and the West saw the

world differently to a large degree one

of the ways in which they did so had to

do with race and ethnicity long leading

the world in military strength

technology and economics the West was

reluctant to see the Japanese as equals

much of this had to do with racial bias

some of it stemmed from the idea that

the Japanese learned much from the

Europeans the Japanese had seen their

Nation rise from a primarily backward

agricultural nation into a growing

industrial power they had defeated two

much larger countries China had long

looked down on the Japanese as a

tributary nation and the Russians

believe that their more modern Army Navy

and soldiers would easily defeat the

small Japanese they didn't know that the

Japanese armed forces were more modern

than the Russians their troops better

trained and their generals more skilled

the Japanese were proud of their victory

over Russia it showed the world that

Japan was equal to any Western Nation

unfortunately many Japanese believed

that they had been shortchanged by the

Western powers in the talks that ended

these wars the trade rights and

territorial concessions received after

the defeat of the Russians discouraged

many Japanese they believed that they

had won and deserved more for their

victory in World War One the Japanese

sided with the Allies keeping German

Naval forces bottled up in the Pacific

and China for their effort which was

relatively small the Japanese gained

control of the few German possessions in

the Pacific and even this was not enough

for many Japanese two groups of people

took the blame for Japan's perceived

lack of respect the civilian government

and the Western Powers many Japanese

believe the Europeans especially

conspired to keep Japan down to a large

degree this was true a powerful and

close by Japan could threaten British

Dutch French and American colonies in

business interests in Asia the

westernization of Japanese cities was

added to the complaints of many Japanese

especially the conservative military

Western fashion especially that for

women was taking over many women began

to press for equal rights and more jobs

outside the home baseball and jazz music

were two of the more popular pastimes in

Japan and baseball still is why are we

telling you all this in a video about

Japanese atrocities in World War II

China because there is no making sense

of what happened unless you know what

caused them by the early 1930s Japan had

become a military dictatorship through

the 1930s and the first half of the 40s

Japan became a fascist country as

dangerous to its citizens as it was to

its neighbors promoted by the Japanese

military government through the media

education Mass rallies and Its Behavior

were ideas of Japan Japanese ethnic

superiority the importance of obedience

and loyalty to the emperor to the point

of death and a new version of what

conservative Japanese believed to be the

guiding principles of the Samurai among

these principles were the Loyalty unto

death just mentioned any disdain for

anything not Japanese this Bushido code

resembled the ways of the ancient

Samurai mostly in name only the people

who bore the brunt of Japanese

ethnocentrism were the Chinese for

centuries the Chinese had demanded and

received tribute from the Japanese in

one form or another as a result Chinese

culture dominated Japan and though

Japanese culture became unique over time

many of its religious ideas writing and

cultural characteristics had Chinese

Roots by the 20th century Most Japanese

saw themselves much like a child who had

grown up to be more powerful and

advanced than their parents combined

with the ideas we just mentioned the

Japanese in China behaved much like the

Nazis did in occupied Europe Superior

and without regard for human life that

wasn't Japanese in 1931 the Japanese

conquered the Chinese territory of

Manchuria in 1936 they invaded China and

soon overran most of the eastern part of

the country especially the coastal

cities the treatment of the Chinese who

found themselves under Japanese

Occupation was abysmal to say the least

one brutal atrocity followed another the

best known of which was the infamous

rape of non-king in 1937.

the Japanese exploited the Chinese under

their control economically China also

became one vast laboratory its people

were subject to not only Modern Warfare

but were subjects for the Japanese

military to learn about chemical and

biological weapons the war itself cost

China millions of people but in the

military and among civilians the

estimates of Chinese losses from 1936 to

45 range from 10 to 20 million people

doing his best to increase that total

was a monster named Shiro ishii ishi

like Mengele and Auschwitz was a doctor

he was born in 1892 into an established

middle class family and became a doctor

in 1921 he joined the army as a surgeon

ishi was fascinated by the process of

infection and after a trip to the

battlefields of World War One Europe

became interested in the possibilities

of chemical and biological weapons

after spending two years on World War

One battlefields and talking with the

doctors and officers who had fought on

them ishi was recognized as an expert in

the field of weapons of mass destruction

in 1936 ishi was ordered to form a new

unit the unit's official name was number

731 water purification unit but was

referred to as Unit 731 then and now

ishi was joined by a number of other

doctors including his second in command

Dr hisato Yoshimura there were other

doctors on the staff and a company or

more of gods and assistants unit 731's

Home was an old fortress and prison camp

near the northern Chinese city of Harbin

up to 1 000 people could be housed

inside the Fortress complex at any one

time from the time of its Inception

until the end of the war Unit 731 killed

anywhere between 2 and 300 000 people

please look in our video about the rape

of non-king for more on the problems

with estimating Chinese casualties

during the war most of those victims

were killed or allowed to die not by

firing squad hanging or other common

forms of executions the vast majority

were not gassed as the Nazis did to

their victims in the death camps of

Poland no most of the victims of Unit

731 died as a result of experiments

developed by ishi Yoshimura and others

these experiments in death came in many

forms it's estimated that thousands of

Chinese in the surrounding areas were

killed when Unit 731 released a variety

of germs on the unsuspecting populace

these diseases included plague typhus

smallpox prisoners were injected with

tuberculosis cholera gonorrhea syphilis

and were made to have dysentery flea

bombs filled with plague infested

insects were released in towns and

Villages children were given food

poisoned with a variety of deadly

chemicals their bodies were then

dissected and studied massive doses of

tetanus vaccine which caused people to

go into uncontrollable muscle spasms

that often led to death were

administered within the prison doctors

and soldiers wore protective suits at

times outside it figures in other

worldly biosuits would roam over areas

of Countryside strewn with dead and

dying people not to help but to see how

lethal long-lasting and effective their

biological weapons were experiments

included exposure to incredible amounts

of x-rays the radioactive Burns within

and without the body were studied after

the victims had died of this exposure

many of the people who were dying of the

diseases given to them by the members of

Unit 731 were examined before their

deaths when we say examined we mean that

they were cut open in various ways and

parts of their bodies with no anesthetic

Ichi and his staff wanted to witness the

process of infection before serious

internal and external infections said it

and they believed that decomposition

would affect or skewed their results

some experiments which theoretically

having some kind of purpose seem to be

created simply from Pure sadism people

were burned to death with flamethrowers

they were exposed to chemical warfare

agents exposed means they had these

agents thrown on their naked bodies or

forced down their throats and other

orifices female prisoners were raped

some of them by male Prisoners the

stated purpose to study the possibility

of conception even while infected with

deadly diseases including syphilis and

gonorrhea many of the guards were also

infected by raping prisoners though they

were officially forbidden to have sexual

contact with them like the Nazi doctors

is she and his men exposed people to

freezing temperature and low pressure

Chambers they also induced heart attacks

forced abortions on prisoners and women

who live nearby and conducted surgeries

that are right out of a nightmare arms

removed and legs sewn in their place the

removal of sexual organs Etc the list is

almost endless and includes many more

instances of sadism some of which we

caution you are even more disturbing

than what has already been described in

this video

when the war ended in September 1945

ishi was in Japan he was arrested by U.S

authorities as were a number of his

accomplices as was the case with a

number of wanted Nazi war criminals ishi

was given immunity from prosecution

again he was given immunity from

prosecution by the United States

military government why because the U.S

believed that it was possible that some

of the data collected by ishi during the

war could be of use to America in any

future conflict Yes you heard that right

ishi died peacefully in 1959. a number

of ishi's officers and men were captured

by the Soviets when they invaded

northern China in the last days of the

war amazingly they received prison terms

not executions despite some of them

receiving sentences of 20 or more years

or were repatriated to Japan in the

1950s in a Soviet effort to improve

relations with Japan members of Unit 731

openly held reunions in Japan after the

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