🔎 In a dusty warehouse in Tokyo, 77-year-old Katsutoshi Takegami unearthed a chilling piece of history. While cleaning out his family’s old storage space in 2017, he found photo albums and documents tracing back to his father’s time in the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 1644—a unit long rumored to be behind secret germ warfare in China.
📜 This year, at Takegami’s request, the National Archives of Japan released the complete personnel rosters of Unit 1644 along with those of Unit 8604 and Unit 8609. These lists spill the names, birth dates, and service details of hundreds of soldiers who once served as epidemic prevention and water supply staff in east and central China during World War II.
😮 Historians have known about the notorious Unit 731, but records on Unit 1644 were scarce until now. The new files show how Unit 1644 worked closely with Unit 731 to develop biological weapons, cultivate deadly pathogens, and conduct human experiments. Their attacks unleashed outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and plague in provinces like Zhejiang and Jiangxi, leaving countless civilians sick or dead.
🕵️♂️ Takegami’s discovery confirms what some researchers have long suggested: the water supply label was a cover for biological warfare. Takegami told the People’s Daily that the evidence of the crimes committed by the invading Japanese forces in China is solid and undeniable, urging Japan to face its past honestly.
🙏 Today, Takegami mourns the Chinese people who suffered. He calls on the Japanese government to apologize sincerely and vows to keep sharing the truth with the world so that future generations learn from these dark chapters and work toward peace.
🌍 In an era of rising tensions, history matters more than ever. Honoring the memories of victims and uncovering hidden truths reminds us why transparency, empathy, and justice should guide our global community.
Reference(s):
Descendant of Japanese invader reveals records of germ warfare
cgtn.com
