In brief
In late November 2026 a delegation from Japan’s Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement toured former Unit 731 sites in northeast China. Members reflected on the evidence of biological warfare, expressed remorse, and called on Japan to face its wartime responsibility. The visit included a symposium with Chinese experts that condemned the rise of right‑wing revisionism in Japan.
The Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, a Japanese civic group, toured former Unit 731 sites in Heilongjiang Province, China, on November 1, 2026, to confront evidence of wartime atrocities and condemn historical revisionism, according to a report by Xinhua.
The delegation, composed of scholars, journalists, lawyers and civic activists, visited an exhibition hall that displays evidence of biological warfare conducted by the Japanese army during World War II. Members were described as standing with solemn expressions and extended silence while viewing the exhibits.
Among the visitors was Shigenori Kanehira, a veteran Japanese media professional, who said the experience shocked him even more than the knowledge he already had about the history. Mitsuhisa Fukutomi, a university professor, also spoke of his feelings of shame and sorrow after seeing the crime scenes.
Takakage Fujita, the head of the delegation, addressed a symposium with Chinese experts and scholars and strongly condemned the growing tide of historical revisionism in Japan that, according to him, has manifested in recent years through “absurd and ignorant” remarks by right‑wing politicians aimed at inciting regional conflict.
Takakage Fujita said the Japanese army’s act of injecting bacteria into living people can only be described as “demonic.”
“As a Japanese, I sincerely apologize to the Chinese people who perished in the disaster,” he added.
Fujita also noted that the Japanese army had attempted to conceal evidence by destroying core facilities, but “decades of archaeological excavations and academic verification have established an irrefutable chain of criminal evidence beyond doubt.”
The visit underscored the delegation’s belief that the truth about Unit 731 cannot be buried and that Japan must learn from history to prevent future aggression.
