Japan’s Hidden Bones: Untangling the Wartime Atrocities of Unit 731

A group of activists, historians, and experts are urging the Japanese government to investigate human bones found in Tokyo. These bones may be linked to wartime germ warfare experiments by Unit 731. Calls for further forensic investigation and DNA testing persist, despite government resistance.

Activists, historians, and experts are renewing pressure on the Japanese government to investigate a collection of human bones in Tokyo, which may be linked to wartime human germ warfare experiments conducted by Unit 731. The group gathered over the weekend to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the bones' discovery and urged for an independent panel to further examine the evidence.

Originally uncovered in 1989 at the site of a wartime Army Medical School, these remains have raised suspicions due to the site's ties to Unit 731. Although a 2001 Health Ministry investigation concluded the bones weren't linked to the unit, activists argue that key witness accounts were excluded and are calling for comprehensive DNA testing.

Despite government claims that documentary evidence remains elusive, newly acquired research materials suggest a darker history. Activists continue to push for transparency, aiming to identify the bones and return them to their families, stating that uncovering the truth is essential for historical justice.

(With inputs from agencies.)