Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program

Ishii Shiro, the leader of Unit 731,  saw an opportunity after the 1925 Geneva Convention outlawing biological and chemical warfare, believing that if the entire world was willing to outlaw such a weapon, it could pose benefits for a Japanese nation desiring expansion throughout the Far East. 
With the blessing of both his superiors in both the army and navy, Ishii began research into the theoretical uses of biological and chemical warfare, promoting the argument that producing bacteria would be less expensive than other conventional forms of weaponry. In the spring of 1928, he travelled extensively abroad, visiting numerous European countries and gathered research on biological warfare, some of which came from the US, Germany, Russia, France, and Italy, as well as Switzerland, Turkey, the Soviet Union, Egypt, Singapore, Ceylon, and Canada. While some countries were engaged in the secret development of biological weaponry, his trip did not yield a great amount of information or research.

The Secret Production at Okunoshima Island

In 1929, the factory on Okunoshima was established to produce mustard gas, phosgene, and other poison gases. The gas was then transported to the city of Kokura where they put the gas into artillery shells. Imperial Japanese Army used the gas against Chinese soldiers and civilians in the war more than 2,000 times in the 1930's and 1940's. By the end of the war, Japan left more than 2 million poison gas shells in China. The gas was never dropped in the United States as President Roosevelt warned Japan of its consequences if they did. 
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It is now becoming the rabbit island
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Production of chemical gas
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Chemical weapon factory

Establishment of Epidemic Prevention and Water Puridication Department

Unit 691 was under control of the Kwantung Army
The central office of Unit 691 was Unit 731, infamous for vivisection and its research on chemical and biological weapons
Unit 516 in Qiqihar was a chemical weapons division that operated secretly underneath Unit 731
Other sub-units devoted to water purification- Unit 643, 162, 673, 543, and 391
Unit 1855 in Beijing was under control of Japanese Central China Area Army performed human experimentation
Unit 1644 in Nanjing was under control of the Japanese Central China Area Army performed human experimentation
Unit 8604 in Guangzhou was under control of the Japanese Southern China Area Army performed human experimentation
Unit 9420 in Singapore was under the Southern Expeditionary Army Group

This content is a supplementary resource guide to our ebook. 

Unit 731- The Forgotten Asian Auschwiz

The Japanese invasion of China during the Second Sino-Japanese war has left a strong legacy of hate and disgust among many Chinese today. Much of the atrocities committed by the Japanese are now known to most historians. By far, the most despicable and forgotten act against humanity committed by the Imperial Japanese government was its covert biochemical weapons program. Euphemistically labelled as the "Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department" of the Imperial Japanese Army, the Japanese conducted a wide range of cruel and inhumane experiments on prisoners who were often innocent. ​

​Background of Biochemical Warfare Development

​​Pacific Asia War