TOKYO (AP) — A pile of human bones discovered in a Tokyo repository has sparked debate over their origins. Some believe they are remnants from early 20th-century anatomy classes, while others suspect they may be the unburied victims of wartime atrocities.
The bones, including skulls with cuts and parts of skeletons, were unearthed in 1989 at the site of the wartime Army Medical School, known for its ties to a germ and biological warfare unit. Unit 731, based in northeast China during the war, conducted gruesome experiments on prisoners of war, injecting them with diseases and performing surgeries without anesthesia.
Despite suspicions, a 2001 Health Ministry report concluded that the bones were likely from bodies used in medical education or brought back from war zones for analysis. While some witnesses mentioned connections to Unit 731, definitive evidence linking the bones to the unit remains elusive.
Activists and experts are calling for further investigation, including DNA testing and the release of full interview accounts. The goal is to identify the bones and return them to their families, shedding light on a dark chapter in history.
Former Unit 731 lab technician Hideo Shimizu recalled seeing body parts stored in jars at the unit, including a dissected belly with a fetus inside. Shimizu's harrowing experiences underscore the need to remember the victims and educate future generations about the horrors of war.
While the government maintains its position based on existing evidence, calls for a more thorough inquiry persist. The quest for truth and justice continues as the mystery of the Shinjuku bones remains unresolved.
