Unit 731
Overview
was a covert biological
and chemical warfare
research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army
that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War
(1937–1945) and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese personnel
.
It was officially known as the . Originally set up under the Kempeitai
military police
of the Empire of Japan
.
Unit 731 was based at the Pingfang
district of Harbin
, the largest city in the Japanese puppet state
of Manchukuo
(now Northeast China
).
More than 10,000 people—from which around 600 every year were provided by the Kempeitai
—were subjects of the experimentation conducted by Unit 731.
More than 95% of the victims who died in the camp based in Pingfang
were Chinese and Korean, including both civilian and military.
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
and chemical warfare
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
(1937–1945) and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese personnel
Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism, primarily during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Some of the incidents have also been described as an Asian Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities...
.
It was officially known as the . Originally set up under the Kempeitai
Kempeitai
The was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. It was not an English-style military police, but a French-style gendarmerie...
military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
.
Unit 731 was based at the Pingfang
Pingfang
Pingfang District is a district in the outskirts of Harbin, China . It was the headquarters of the Japanese Biological Warfare Unit 731 during the Japanese invasion of China and World War II. It had an airport, railway and dungeons...
district of Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
, the largest city in the Japanese puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
(now Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
).
More than 10,000 people—from which around 600 every year were provided by the Kempeitai
Kempeitai
The was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. It was not an English-style military police, but a French-style gendarmerie...
—were subjects of the experimentation conducted by Unit 731.
More than 95% of the victims who died in the camp based in Pingfang
Pingfang
Pingfang District is a district in the outskirts of Harbin, China . It was the headquarters of the Japanese Biological Warfare Unit 731 during the Japanese invasion of China and World War II. It had an airport, railway and dungeons...
were Chinese and Korean, including both civilian and military.
