Page 160 - Unit 731 Testimony

American films take up the topic of soldiers who were in the Vietnam War
coming down with psychological problems, developing neuroses, and even
committing suicide. But in Japan, people who were guilty of atrocities in

the war do not shudder from their crimes or commit suicide. It does not
even happen in the popular literature. Why is it that, in this country, an
offense is not considered a crime and people go on living without giving a
second thought to such things? And in the midst of this, the economy has
kept growing. This is Japan.

Twelve years ago I published a collection of my experiences in a book
called Unerasable Memories. I gave copies to all my former army
associates. Some people objected to my doing this, but at a gathering of
former soldiers a while ago, an ex-high ranking officer commended me for
it. "We did horrible things then," he said. "I can't say anything to my family,
but I want to speak about it here. Let's get together every year."

Everybody forgot. They did "great" things and got medals, and they
don't think they did anything worse than kicking a dog. I asked if anyone
had nightmares about what he did, and nobody seemed bothered. People
said that they had nightmares only when they were children and didn't have

their homework ready for school. They weren't bothered because they never
considered it a dreadful thing to take a scalpel and cut open a living person.
The greatest crime, though, was not vivisection but joining the army as
a medical doctor, treating sick and wounded soldiers to release them to fight

again. This is the most criminal act: returning killer soldiers. The buildup of
a big, invading army has been forgotten.
The present situation in Japan is cause for concern. Some people see a
similarity with the 1930s. Are we now in a postwar era, or a prewar era?

This is a strange atmosphere, and we are in the midst of a strange education.

Civilian employee of Unit 731 in Tokyo (Ishibashi

Naokata)

[Ishibashi, born in 1920, spoke both in person at Unit 731 exhibits and on
videotape.]