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Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Health
- Asahi Shimbun
5 more leprosy facilities found to have tested drug on patients
The drug 'Koha' stored at Kikuchi-Keifuen, a national sanitarium for leprosy patients in Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture. Blueish-blackish powder can be seen inside the glass containers. The photo was taken on Dec. 8, 2022. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Five more national leprosy sanitariums during and after World War II have reported administering an experimental drug called "Koha" to residents that caused severe side effects in some patients. The disclosures follow the release of an investigative report by the Kikuchi-Keifuen sanatorium located in Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, in June 2024, disclosing the practice, which has since prompted investigations at other facilities. The Asahi Shimbun contacted 12 national sanatoriums, excluding Kikuchi-Keifuen, by June this year. Based on preserved documents and medical records, the administration of Koha was confirmed at the National Suruga sanatorium in Shizuoka Prefecture; Oshima-Seishoen in Takamatsu; Tama-Zenshoen in Tokyo; Nagashima-Aiseien in Okayama Prefecture; and Hoshizuka-Keiaien in Kagoshima Prefecture. Koha, composed of cryptocyanin, a photosensitive dye, was developed under the former Imperial Japanese Army. The military was interested in its application for frostbite and burn treatment in cold-weather operations. The military commissioned the research of Koha to Kumamoto medical university, which is now the School of Medicine at Kumamoto University. After some apparent success in tuberculosis patients, which involved bacteria similar to mycobacterium leprae, the drug was tested on leprosy patients. The director of Kikuchi-Keifuen was commissioned by the 7th Research Center of the Army Technical Headquarters to conduct a trial administration of Koha. It was conducted on at least 472 residents of the sanatorium between 1942 and 1947. Nine patients died during the trial period, with two deaths suspected to be directly linked to Koha. At the Suruga sanatorium, a thorough review of all 998 residents' medical records is under way to determine the drug's use. Shinichi Kitajima, the sanatorium director, confirmed that the use of Koha was found in post-war medical records. Staff members bound by confidentiality are carefully reviewing the records one by one. He said the task 'will take time to fully uncover the facts.' 'There is a possibility that more unknown facts will come to light. We need to establish rules for preserving medical records and documents,' Kitajima added. Information regarding the administration of Koha at Tama-Zenshoen and Oshima-Seishoen was found in the 1947 issue of the journal of dermatology and venereology, which is now preserved at the National Hansen's Disease Museum. According to the journal, the director of Tama-Zenshoen reported that of 175 cases, the use was discontinued in 72 within three months, while 103 continued for four to eight months. The facility needed to stop administrating Koha in 57 cases due to the general deterioration of the resident's health. The director of Oshima-Seishoen also reported administering Koha to 180 people. 'There were many side effects of the drug. But they diminished after stopping the drug,' he wrote. The administration of the drug at Oshima-Seishoen ran from 1944 to 1946, which overlapped with the period of operation at Kikuchi-Keifuen. Records regarding Koha's administration were also found in Nagashima-Aiseien's institutional journal and the residents' association magazine at Hoshizuka-Keiaien. Other facilities said that the number of records is too large and that they are considering how to proceed with their research. 'Investigations should be conducted at sanatoriums across the country,' said Akira Ota, acting chairperson of the Kikuchi-Keifuen residents' association. According to the health ministry, as of May this year, there are 639 residents in national sanatoriums, with an average age of 88.8 years old. SUFFERING FROM SIDE EFFECTS A doctor at Oshima-Seishoen told Tsuneji Matsumoto, who is now 93, along with other young residents around early 1944, that 'A new drug for leprosy has been developed. You'll take it.' Records confirm that Koha was administered at this facility. According to Matsumoto, who entered the facility in July 1942 and still lives there, the drug was given under the pretext of leprosy treatment. The 'thin, flat tablet' was taken once a day before noon. Afterward, he felt dazed and his vision deteriorated. He remembers crawling along the hallways saying, 'I can't see, I can't see.' Then, he became hospitalized. He recalls others around him suffering from fevers or festering wounds. One woman lost her hair and cried. Due to these painful side effects, some patients said they didn't want to take the medicine anymore. However, the doctor said that, 'It's working because you're having a reaction,' and continued administering it. Some residents pretended to have taken the pill, hiding it under their tongues and spitting it out later. However, this ruse was eventually discovered. Nurses began checking to ensure that each tablet was swallowed. Matsumoto recalls the pill treatments lasting from six months to a year. One day, without explanation, the prescription was abruptly halted. He later heard that the military ordered the administrating of Koha. 'I believe that the doctors at the sanatorium weren't able to refuse,' he said. 'The military was terrifying.' (This article was compiled from reports written by Satoko Onuki, Ryutaro Ito and Kei Yoshida.)
Japan Forward
4 days ago
- General
- Japan Forward
Okinawa Memorial Day a Timely Reminder of Horrors of War
On Okinawa Memorial Day, June 23, the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa passed with a solemn ceremony. It took place at Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni, Itoman City, on the island of Okinawa. The site was where the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) made its last stand. This is one of Japan's "four days" commemorating victims of the war. It is followed by the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9), and finally, August 15, the day the Pacific War ended. Emperor Emeritus Akihito has dedicated himself to making these occasions for the Japanese people to engage in special commemoration of the dead since he was Crown Prince. On this Okinawa Memorial Day, the Emperor and Empress, as well as other members of the Imperial Family, observed a moment of silence. All Japanese should also take this opportunity to offer their sincere condolences to those who lost their lives. US troops land on Okinawa's Aguni Island in June 1945. (Courtesy of US National Archives via Okinawa Prefectural Archives.) The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest of the Pacific War. It began on March 26, 1945, when United States forces landed on the Kerama Islands, about 40 kilometers west of Naha City. An overwhelming number of American soldiers landed on Okinawa Island itself on April 1. Dug-in Japanese forces met them, putting up desperate resistance. The fierce ground battle ended up lasting for roughly three months. For the defense of Okinawa Prefecture, the IJA committed its newly formed 120,000-man 32nd Army. More than 2,500 kamikaze ( tokoki ) planes, airborne forces, and a fleet with the battleship Yamato as its flagship set out from mainland Japan. Many Okinawan volunteers and civilians, including middle school students and the famous Himeyuri detachment of student nurses, also lost their lives during the intense fighting. General Mitsuru Ushijima, commander of the 32nd Army, committed ritual suicide by seppuku in his cave headquarters at Mabuni on June 23. His act brought an end to the organized fighting. Around 188,000 Japanese soldiers and more than 12,000 US service members died during the Battle of Okinawa. We must not forget their sacrifices as we enjoy our peaceful lives today. Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko pay their respects at the Cornerstone of Peace in Peace Memorial Park, Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture, on June 4. Ahead of Memorial Day, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako traveled to Okinawa. On June 4, they visited the National Cemetery of the War Dead within Peace Memorial Park. And on June 5, they laid flowers at the memorial for the Tsushima Maru . A US submarine sank the ship while it was evacuating over 1,600 children and other civilians to mainland Japan. On both occasions, the imperial couple comforted bereaved family members. Residents of Okinawa Prefecture warmly welcomed the Emperor and Empress, who conveyed a profound awareness of Okinawa's history of hardship. Unfortunately, however, some residents of the prefecture have accepted distorted opinions about the Battle of Okinawa. For example, some local newspapers repeatedly reported that the greatest lesson of the Battle of Okinawa is that "the military did not protect local residents." They also regularly criticized the activities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and Princess Aiko speak with war survivors and representatives during their visit to the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum. June 4 in Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture. However, in reality, many Okinawans were also encouraged to survive by Japanese soldiers who helped them. And the current Self-Defense Forces are also essential for maintaining peace in Japan, including Okinawa. Meanwhile, China is intensifying its military pressure in the waters off Okinawa. This anniversary reminds us that, in addition to diplomacy, Japan absolutely must strengthen its defense capabilities and civil defense operations. (Read the editorial in Japanese .) Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
Kyodo News
4 days ago
- Kyodo News
Number of Japanese school students in China down over 10%
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 15:33 | World, All, Japan The number of students enrolled in Japanese schools in China declined over 10 percent in the academic year starting April from a year earlier, as Tuesday marked the first anniversary of a knife attack near Shanghai in which Japanese nationals were injured. According to data compiled by Tokyo-based Japan Overseas Educational Services and others, the number of students at the 11 Japanese schools in mainland China nosedived in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before a recovery trend began in the following year. However, the 2025 school year saw a decrease in the number of students amid an economic slump in China and safety concerns shared by Japanese expatriate communities after the knife attack in Suzhou in June last year and a fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen, southern China, in September. On June 24 last year, a 52-year-old unemployed Chinese man named Zhou Jiasheng stabbed a Japanese mother and her child and killed Chinese bus attendant Hu Youping, 54, who came to their assistance at a Japanese school bus stop in the Jiangsu Province city. Zhou was later convicted and executed earlier this year. Local authorities and the Japanese school in Suzhou have stepped up security measures since the stabbing, with several security officials deployed at the educational institution, aboard school buses and at the bus stop. "We feel safe with the presence of the security officials, but cannot let our guard down," a mother of a Japanese school student said. "I always tell my child to be vigilant and run away if a suspicious person is spotted nearby." "If children face danger again, I will let my family return to Japan as soon as possible," a father of a student said. As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of what Beijing calls the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it is feared public sentiment toward Japanese nationals in China could worsen. A mother of a student at the Suzhou Japanese school was wary of Japanese children in China being at risk again, with a new movie featuring the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 scheduled to be released on July 31. The unit undertook biological and chemical warfare research in northeastern China during World War II, according to historians. Related coverage: China school bus stop murderer executed: Japanese gov't Japanese schoolboy killer in China executed: source
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- The Mainichi
Number of Japanese school students in China down over 10%
SUZHOU, China (Kyodo) -- The number of students enrolled in Japanese schools in China declined over 10 percent in the academic year starting April from a year earlier, as Tuesday marked the first anniversary of a knife attack near Shanghai in which Japanese nationals were injured. According to data compiled by Tokyo-based Japan Overseas Educational Services and others, the number of students at the 11 Japanese schools in mainland China nosedived in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before a recovery trend began in the following year. However, the 2025 school year saw a decrease in the number of students amid an economic slump in China and safety concerns shared by Japanese expatriate communities after the knife attack in Suzhou in June last year and a fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen, southern China, in September. On June 24 last year, a 52-year-old unemployed Chinese man named Zhou Jiasheng stabbed a Japanese mother and her child and killed Chinese bus attendant Hu Youping, 54, who came to their assistance at a Japanese school bus stop in the Jiangsu Province city. Zhou was later convicted and executed earlier this year. Local authorities and the Japanese school in Suzhou have stepped up security measures since the stabbing, with several security officials deployed at the educational institution, aboard school buses and at the bus stop. "We feel safe with the presence of the security officials, but cannot let our guard down," a mother of a Japanese school student said. "I always tell my child to be vigilant and run away if a suspicious person is spotted nearby." "If children face danger again, I will let my family return to Japan as soon as possible," a father of a student said. As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of what Beijing calls the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it is feared public sentiment toward Japanese nationals in China could worsen. A mother of a student at the Suzhou Japanese school was wary of Japanese children in China being at risk again, with a new movie featuring the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 scheduled to be released on July 31. The unit undertook biological and chemical warfare research in northeastern China during World War II, according to historians.
Kyodo News
4 days ago
- Kyodo News
Number of Japanese school students in China down over 10%
KYODO NEWS - 11 minutes ago - 15:33 | World, All, Japan The number of students enrolled in Japanese schools in China declined over 10 percent in the academic year starting April from a year earlier, as Tuesday marked the first anniversary of a knife attack near Shanghai in which Japanese nationals were injured. According to data compiled by Tokyo-based Japan Overseas Educational Services and others, the number of students at the 11 Japanese schools in mainland China nosedived in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before a recovery trend began in the following year. However, the 2025 school year saw a decrease in the number of students amid an economic slump in China and safety concerns shared by Japanese expatriate communities after the knife attack in Suzhou in June last year and a fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen, southern China, in September. On June 24 last year, a 52-year-old unemployed Chinese man named Zhou Jiasheng stabbed a Japanese mother and her child and killed Chinese bus attendant Hu Youping, 54, who came to their assistance at a Japanese school bus stop in the Jiangsu Province city. Zhou was later convicted and executed earlier this year. Local authorities and the Japanese school in Suzhou have stepped up security measures since the stabbing, with several security officials deployed at the educational institution, aboard school buses and at the bus stop. "We feel safe with the presence of the security officials, but cannot let our guard down," a mother of a Japanese school student said. "I always tell my child to be vigilant and run away if a suspicious person is spotted nearby." "If children face danger again, I will let my family return to Japan as soon as possible," a father of a student said. As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of what Beijing calls the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it is feared public sentiment toward Japanese nationals in China could worsen. A mother of a student at the Suzhou Japanese school was wary of Japanese children in China being at risk again, with a new movie featuring the Imperial Japanese Army's notorious Unit 731 scheduled to be released on July 31. The unit undertook biological and chemical warfare research in northeastern China during World War II, according to historians. Related coverage: China school bus stop murderer executed: Japanese gov't Japanese schoolboy killer in China executed: source
