logo
China movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept. 18

China movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept. 18

Kyodo News19 hours ago
BEIJING - A Chinese movie on the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 will be screened from Sept. 18, state-run media said Sunday, after its original release date last week passed without explanation.
The new screening date falls on the 94th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang -- an event that marked the start of the Manchurian Incident, leading to Japan's invasion of northeastern China.
The Unit 731 movie, originally scheduled to premiere last Thursday, is one of war-themed works for release this year in China, which commemorates the 80th anniversary of what it calls its victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
Millions of people online have expressed their interest in the film about the unit, which according to historians conducted biological and chemical warfare research in China during World War II.
Set in China's northeastern region, the movie conveys an anti-war message and reportedly aims to "reveal the crimes" of Unit 731 through a focus on ordinary individuals.
The film, which will be shown after the July 25 release of a Chinese movie themed on a massacre in Nanjing committed by Japanese troops in 1937, is feared to fan anti-Japan sentiment in the country.
Last Thursday, a Japanese woman was assaulted while walking with her child at a subway station in Suzhou, near Shanghai, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury.
Chinese authorities later detained a suspect allegedly involved in the incident but have not provided the details, with Chinese media not reporting on the case.
On Sept. 18 last year, a 10-year-old Japanese boy was stabbed on his way to a Japanese school in Shenzhen, southern China. He died from the stab wounds the following day.
The Unit 731 film was made with the cooperation of an exhibition hall dedicated to the unit in Harbin in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang as well as local publicity departments of the ruling Communist Party.
The unit's research is believed to have included lethal experimentation and testing on humans. Prisoners of war were secretly experimented upon to develop, among other things, plague and cholera-based biological weapons, according to historians.
The Japanese government says it has not found any evidence confirming that the unit conducted experiments on human subjects.
In 1997, Japan's Supreme Court, in a ruling concerning state screeners' objection to a history textbook's description of the unit's actions in China, said "the view had been established within academic circles to an undeniable extent that Unit 731 had killed many Chinese people through biological experiments."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kyodo News Digest: Aug. 4, 2025
Kyodo News Digest: Aug. 4, 2025

Kyodo News

time4 hours ago

  • Kyodo News

Kyodo News Digest: Aug. 4, 2025

TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Golf: Yamashita wins Women's British Open for 1st LPGA major PORTHCAWL, Wales - Japan's Miyu Yamashita won the Women's British Open on Sunday, claiming her maiden U.S. LPGA Tour victory at the fifth and final major of the year. The tour rookie, who turned 24 on Saturday, is the second Japanese winner of the tournament, following Hinako Shibuno in 2019, while she is the sixth from the country to win a women's major. ---------- Secretary to ruling party lawmaker to be indicted over fund scandal TOKYO - Prosecutors have decided to indict a secretary to veteran ruling party lawmaker Koichi Hagiuda, overturning an earlier decision not to charge the aide over a failure to report about 20 million yen ($135,000) in political funds, investigative sources said Sunday. The move marks the first time that prosecutors have decided to pursue a criminal case, following a prosecution review panel decision, related to the Liberal Democratic Party slush fund scandal, reflecting persisting public frustration over the issue. ---------- 4 workers who died after falling in manhole had no protective gear SAITAMA, Japan - Four workers who died after falling down a manhole over the weekend were not equipped with protective gear, their company said Sunday. The sewage survey firm also said levels of hydrogen sulfide -- a highly toxic, colorless gas -- detected at the site of the accident in Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, were more than 15 times the national standard when it happened. ---------- China movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept. 18 BEIJING - A Chinese movie on the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 will be screened from Sept. 18, state-run media said Sunday, after its original release date last week passed without explanation. The new screening date falls on the 94th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang -- an event that marked the start of the Manchurian Incident, leading to Japan's invasion of northeastern China. ---------- Japan seeks to create int'l rules on space debris removal TOKYO - Japan will seek to establish international rules for the removal of human-made objects in space that could pose collision risks to satellites and the International Space Station if left in orbit, according to officials. By the end of March, the Cabinet Office, in cooperation with experts, aims to identify legal and procedural issues involved in clearing space debris, such as fragments of rockets and satellites. ---------- U.S. team clad in game characters wins World Cosplay Summit in Japan NAGOYA - A team representing the United States clad in popular game characters won the championship of the in central Japan's Nagoya on Sunday. "I have no words. We've been working for this for so many years, so many keep working and dreams can come true," said a U.S. team member dressed as a character from "Fire Emblem Engage" after bagging the first prize at the city's Aichi Arts Center. ---------- Ukraine Foreign Minister Sybiha to seek more support from Japan KYIV - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha plans to hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya in the coming days, government sources said Saturday, as Kyiv seeks Tokyo's support for its reconstruction after Russia's invasion. During his first visit to Japan as foreign minister, Sybiha is also likely to meet with other high-ranking officials and ask Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government to strengthen economic sanctions on Russia, the sources said. ---------- Sumo: Wrestlers draw large crowd as regional tour visits Osaka expo OSAKA - Some 4,000 spectators from home and abroad gathered to watch the Japan Sumo Association's regional summer tour make its first stop at the World Exposition in Osaka on Sunday. Yokozuna Onosato's ring-entering ritual and bouts between wrestlers were on display at the venue as well as a shokkiri show, which comically demonstrates prohibited moves in the ancient sport. ---------- Video: Aomori Nebuta Festival commences

Chinese movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept 18
Chinese movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept 18

Japan Today

time8 hours ago

  • Japan Today

Chinese movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept 18

Photo taken in Beijing shows a digital advertisement for a Chinese movie on the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731. A Chinese movie on the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 will be screened from Sept 18, state-run media said, after its original release date last week passed without explanation. The new screening date falls on the 94th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang -- an event that marked the start of the Manchurian Incident, leading to Japan's invasion of northeastern China. The Unit 731 movie, originally scheduled to premiere last Thursday, is one of war-themed works for release this year in China, which commemorates the 80th anniversary of what it calls its victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Millions of people online have expressed their interest in the film about the unit, which according to historians conducted biological and chemical warfare research in China during World War II. Set in China's northeastern region, the movie conveys an anti-war message and reportedly aims to "reveal the crimes" of Unit 731 through a focus on ordinary individuals. The film, which will be shown after the July 25 release of a Chinese movie themed on a massacre in Nanjing committed by Japanese troops in 1937, is feared to fan anti-Japan sentiment in the country. Last Thursday, a Japanese woman was assaulted while walking with her child at a subway station in Suzhou, near Shanghai, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury. Chinese authorities later detained a suspect allegedly involved in the incident but have not provided the details, with Chinese media not reporting on the case. On Sept. 18 last year, a 10-year-old Japanese boy was stabbed on his way to a Japanese school in Shenzhen, southern China. He died from the stab wounds the following day. The Unit 731 film was made with the cooperation of an exhibition hall dedicated to the unit in Harbin in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang as well as local publicity departments of the ruling Communist Party. The unit's research is believed to have included lethal experimentation and testing on humans. Prisoners of war were secretly experimented upon to develop, among other things, plague and cholera-based biological weapons, according to historians. The Japanese government says it has not found any evidence confirming that the unit conducted experiments on human subjects. In 1997, Japan's Supreme Court, in a ruling concerning state screeners' objection to a history textbook's description of the unit's actions in China, said "the view had been established within academic circles to an undeniable extent that Unit 731 had killed many Chinese people through biological experiments." © KYODO

China movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept 18
China movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept 18

Japan Today

time8 hours ago

  • Japan Today

China movie on Japan biological warfare unit to premiere Sept 18

Photo taken in Beijing shows a digital advertisement for a Chinese movie on the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731. A Chinese movie on the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 will be screened from Sept 18, state-run media said, after its original release date last week passed without explanation. The new screening date falls on the 94th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang -- an event that marked the start of the Manchurian Incident, leading to Japan's invasion of northeastern China. The Unit 731 movie, originally scheduled to premiere last Thursday, is one of war-themed works for release this year in China, which commemorates the 80th anniversary of what it calls its victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Millions of people online have expressed their interest in the film about the unit, which according to historians conducted biological and chemical warfare research in China during World War II. Set in China's northeastern region, the movie conveys an anti-war message and reportedly aims to "reveal the crimes" of Unit 731 through a focus on ordinary individuals. The film, which will be shown after the July 25 release of a Chinese movie themed on a massacre in Nanjing committed by Japanese troops in 1937, is feared to fan anti-Japan sentiment in the country. Last Thursday, a Japanese woman was assaulted while walking with her child at a subway station in Suzhou, near Shanghai, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury. Chinese authorities later detained a suspect allegedly involved in the incident but have not provided the details, with Chinese media not reporting on the case. On Sept. 18 last year, a 10-year-old Japanese boy was stabbed on his way to a Japanese school in Shenzhen, southern China. He died from the stab wounds the following day. The Unit 731 film was made with the cooperation of an exhibition hall dedicated to the unit in Harbin in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang as well as local publicity departments of the ruling Communist Party. The unit's research is believed to have included lethal experimentation and testing on humans. Prisoners of war were secretly experimented upon to develop, among other things, plague and cholera-based biological weapons, according to historians. The Japanese government says it has not found any evidence confirming that the unit conducted experiments on human subjects. In 1997, Japan's Supreme Court, in a ruling concerning state screeners' objection to a history textbook's description of the unit's actions in China, said "the view had been established within academic circles to an undeniable extent that Unit 731 had killed many Chinese people through biological experiments." © KYODO

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store