"Eric Takabayashi" <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message
news:3F3251EC.8A998928@yahoo.co.jp...
> masayuki yoshida wrote:
>
> > "masayuki yoshida" <ysd_m@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message
> > news:bgqnp2$rinn0$1@ID-201147.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > >
> > > > > Isn't it. How come some Japanese investigators would even know about the
> > > > > existence or activities of Unit 731, not known or revealed to the public
> > > > > until the 90s, fifty years ago? I should say that
> > > >
> > > > Um, you're gonna have to clear up these dates; did you mean the 60s? Ienaga
> > > > wrote about it.
> > >
> > > Correct.  I have once heard that the first report over Unit 731 popped up in a
kasutori
> > > magazine or something in the 50s.  Seiichi Morimura, mystery novelist, published a
> > > documentary book on the subject, the book became a million seller in 1981 or 1982.
> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/jafz says:
> >
> > <<Most Japanese citizens were unaware of the unit's activities until 1981, when author
> > Seiichi Morimura exposed the unit's dark history in a book, "The Devil's Gluttony". Many
> > of the unit's doctors and researchers became heads of medical and pharmaceutical firms
> > in post-war Japan.
>
> Why don't you dispute this quote that "most Japanese" were ignorant before 1981, or even
> later? Why don't you keep on claiming the Japanese public knew since the 1950s?

Do you want to intend to change the subject?  You really said '1990s', but according to this
citation it is '1981'.  Since I thought this citation correctly answered your question, I
provided it to you.  That's all.

I presume that the Shinsou kasutori magazine had its 200,000-300,000 readers in 1950,
because I think that the then people were quite hungry for not only foods but also stories
about the truth of war times history.

I have no idea of the exact circulation of books on Unit 731which were published in the 60s
and 70s, but it is possible to say that over a million people accessed to public and
university libraries' selves.

In 1981 'Akuma no houshoku' (Devil's greed) was published by Morimura and his assistant
(ex-Akahata journalist of the JCP).  Although their book got a best seller, it soon came to
be out of print because right-wingers condemned minor drawbacks or little weaknesses of the
book such as wrong pictures.  However later a revised version was published.

I remember that Morimura and his colleague often addressed the summarised story of Unit 731
and were interviewed in TV wide shows and general magazines.  Their efforts must have
enlightened people's ignorance of not only Unite 731but also other Japanese war history.  In
those days, 'maruta' (the implicit term 'body') was a word in vogue.

> > The Japanese government has never formally apologized for Unit 731's activities,
>
> Any disagreement from you?

I don't know about the governmental attitude toward Unit 731 and its activities.  Japan and
the US must share top secrets of Unit 731 with each other for natinal security.  On the
other hand, it would be right to say that your nation may be like a coyote which ate
contagious Chinese flesh, Mr Takabayashi aka Mr Ranting.

> > and did not even admit to its existence until August 1998,
>
> Any disagreement from you?

I don't know either.  Honestly speaking, I don't care about the contemporary politics.  I
care about Japanese history.

> > when the Supreme Court ruled that the
> > existence of the unit was accepted in academic circles.
>
> My goodness. As recently as 1998, it was necessary for the Supreme Court to decide that
even
> just among ACADEMICS, was the mere EXISTENCE of Unit 731 "accepted" (as opposed to FACT
> known and accepted by the Japanese public).
>
> Please, Masayuki, Mike, or anyone else, please, please, tell us all about how much
Japanese
> know about the Unit 731 issue since the1950s.

It is a fact that Japanese know the fact that the project of Unite 731 existed and the US
pardoned war criminals involved with the project.

In particular amongst socialist scholars who often write history books for Aoki Shoten
publishing company, one of publishers under the JCP's dominance, Unit 731 was not only a
subject of social science but also a means of their own political movements.  Can you tell
us what and which books on the subject you did read.

Those who read some books on Unit 731 in the 50s know the Unit. Those who have known ever
since 1981 know the Unit.  However, those who are not interested in history are not interest
in the Unit.

By the way, you who often say that Japanese are ignorant about their own history know who is
the first Japanese immigrant who sued the US government for claiming equality under law?
Tell us his/her name.

Masayuki