Page 66 - Unit 731

July 1989
Human bones discovered on site of the Japanese Army Hospital. Research Group on Human Bones Found in Army Hospital formed in September
September 1989
‘Selected Archival Documents on the Invasion of China by the Japanese Imperialists: Bacteriological and Poison Gas Warfare’ published by State Archives Administration
December 1993
Yoshimi Yoshiaki publishes the hand-written ‘Imoto Diary’ in Asahi Shimbun newspaper
February 1995
Organisation for the Investigation of Japan’s Leftover Biochemical Weapons created by Japanese grassroots citizens in Japan.
31 July 1995
Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Science and Japan-China Friendship Association organise seminar ‘Anti-aggression, Maintain Peace’ in Harbin. Exhibition tour of Unit 731 starts in Japan
15 August 1995
New wing of the Museum of War Crime Evidence by Japanese Army Unit 731 officially opens to the public
December 1995
Grassroots organisation in China brings criminal charges against the Japanese government on behalf of victims of Japanese biochemical warfare. Members of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations
including Tsuchiya Kouken and Ichise Keiichirou arrive in Zhejiang, Hunan, and other places to investigate and collect evidence for use in legal action against Japanese government
October 1997
Chengmin Jin discovers records of ‘Special Transfer’ on in Heilongjiang Provincial Archives
2 August 1999
The Heilongjiang Provincial Government holds press conference to disclose the records of ‘Special Transfer’
December 1999
‘Research Organisation of Unit 731 Site to be registered on UNESCO World Heritage Site’ established by a Japanese grassroots group. Unit 731 and poison gas exhibits combined into one, renamed ABC
Planning Commission (referring to atomic, biological, chemical)
July 2000
Harbin Academy of Social Science and Harbin TV visit Japan to conduct interviews with more than twenty former members of Unit 731
28 April 2001
Harbin Academy of Social Science sets up Unit 731 Research Center conducting research and exchange on Unit 731
6 September 2001
Jilin Provincial Archives organises press conference to announce discovery of records of ‘Special Transfer’
18 September 2001
Hunan University of Arts and Science establishes research centre to investigate Japanese bacterial warfare
October–November 2001
Leading Team on Protection and Development of Unit 731 Site and the Harbin Daily visit Japan for second round of field investigation
27 August 2002
Tokyo District Court of Japan concludes the Japanese Army used bacterial warfare on Chinese civilians, but refuses to pay compensation to Chinese victims affected by Japanese bacterial warfare
7–9 December 2002
Hunan University of Arts and Science holds ‘International Academic Conference of War Crimes on Bacterial Warfare’
3 September 2005
Harbin Academy of Social Science holds first international academic conference on Japanese bacterial and poison gas warfare at Harbin
2006
Unit 731 site listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level
18 October 2006
Harbin Academy of Social Science cooperates with Korea Stele Forest and Korea Chungcheong University for second international academic conference on war crimes of Unit 731 at Cheongju, Korea
18–19 November 2006
Hunan College of Arts and Science and the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia hold ‘International Academic Conference on Japanese Bacterial Warfare’ at Changde, Hunan
4–5 September 2007
Harbin Academy of Social Science and Defense University of Mongolia hold ‘Lessons from History and Contemporary Society–Biochemical and Bacterial Weapons of WWII’ in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
July 2008
Heilongjiang Broadcasting Television films and broadcasts the documentary Immortal Memory
18 September 2008
Harbin Academy of Social Science and the Museum of War Crime Evidence by Japanese Army Unit 731 hold fourth international academic conference on Unit 731 war crimes at Harbin
2010
Heilongjiang Broadcasting Television films the documentary Japanese Bacterial Warfare (episodes 1–8) and broadcasts on China Central Television (CCTV)
October 2011
A team of researchers from the Harbin Academy of Social Sciences conducted research at the National Archives and Records Administration and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, where they
copied over 20,000 pages of newly declassified confidential documents pertaining to Unit 731. The team was invited to conduct seminars on Unit 731 and biochemical warfare by Imperial Japan at
Washington, DC, and Macalester College in Minnesota, USA
2012
Site of Unit 731 posted to the reserve list of world heritage sites in China
27 February 2014
Seventh meeting of the 12th Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress declares 3 September the anniversary of victories of Anti-Japanese War of the Chinese People and the World Anti-Fascist
War, and 13 December as National Memorial Day of the Nanjing Massacre Kenneth L. Port’s book, Deciphering the History of Japanese War Atrocities: The Story of Doctor and General Shiro Ishii
(Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2014), unfolds the mysteries of life and work of Shirō Ishii, founder of Unit 731 and mastermind of biochemical warfare in Japan.
15 August 2015
Site of Unit 731 and new wing of the Museum of War Crime Evidence by Japanese Army Unit 731 officially opens to public
24 September 2015
Harbin Academy of Social Science and the Museum of War Crime Evidence by Japanese Army Unit 731 hold fifth international academic conference on Unit 731 war crimes in Harbin