Oceanshaft

For personal reference. And also because being from South-East Asia and living in Japan, it feels relevant.

Links to the English article here: Vivisection on Filipinos admitted and to the Japanese aricle here: 大戦末期に比で生体解剖　元海軍衛生兵が証言. Articles reproduced below.

The Japan Times
Monday, Nov. 27, 2006
Vivisection on Filipinos admitted
Wartime medic says victims included women, children

OSAKA (Kyodo) A former medic in the Imperial Japanese Navy says he carried out vivisection on about 30 prisoners, including women and children, in the Philippines during World War II.

It is the first time anyone in the wartime military has admitted that experiments were conducted on human beings in the Philippines, said Keiichi Tsuneishi, a professor of science history at Kanagawa University.

Such experiments are known to have been conducted in northern China by the notorious germ warfare Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army and at a Kyushu University hospital.

The former naval medic, Akira Makino, 84, of Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, offered the revelation in a recent interview despite opposition from wartime friends. After keeping it to himself for nearly 61 years, he decided to come forward.

"The souls of those who died would not be soothed if the story remained buried," he said.

Makino belonged to the medical corps of the navy's No. 33 patrol unit and was assigned to Zamboanga air base on Mindanao Island in August 1944.

The experiments on live prisoners began that December, according to Makino. He was 22 at the time.

Ordered by a doctor in his 30s, Makino took two Filipino men captured as U.S. spies to a hospital that had been converted from a school. The doctor told him that vivisection would be performed on them.

The prisoners were undressed and tied to operating tables. Their faces were covered with an ether-soaked cloth so they fell unconscious, he said.

Makino inserted a surgical knife into their bodies as the doctor told him, "You will have to treat patients if I die." Makino said his hands were trembling.

The doctor pointed out the liver of one of the two prisoners, but Makino barely remembered what it looked like, he recounted.

"I thought 'What a horrible thing I'm doing to innocent people even though I'm ordered to do it,' " he said.

The experiments included amputating arms and legs, suturing blood vessels and conducting abdominal dissections. They continued until February 1945 and resulted in the deaths of about 30 people, including women and children, according to Makino.

After the experiments, medical corps personnel strangled the captives with rope to make sure they were dead, Makino said, adding the bodies were buried and the deeds were kept secret.

"I would have been killed if I had disobeyed the order," Makino said. "That was the case in those days."

U.S. forces landed on Mindanao in March 1945. The Japanese soldiers, including Makino, went into hiding in the jungle.

Kanagawa University's Tsuneishi said the experiments signified the deterioration of morale among the Japanese forces.

"But I have never heard of (such experiments) in the Philippines, especially by the navy," he said.

Little in the way of Japanese testimony has emerged about what happened in Southeast Asia during the war because few military units survived, Tsuneishi said.

"With such new testimony as a start, I think we need to re-examine history by interviewing those who survived the war," he said.

Makino has talked about his war experiences while visiting elementary and junior high schools in Hirakata for the past several years, but he did not tell the students about the human dissections because of their graphic nature.

But that may now change.

"We should not let this horrible thing happen again," Makino said. "I want to tell the truth about war to as many people as possible. If I'm given the opportunity, I'll continue to testify in atonement."

This time our main destination was Takachiho gorge (高千穂峡). First time to enter Miyazaki prefecture for me, and I've been wanting to visit this spot for a long time. Got onto the highway from Dazaifu IC to Matsubashi IC, and then proceeded east.

Stopped on the way to see Reitai bridge (霊台橋) and Tsujun bridge (通潤橋). Both were very impressive stone arch bridges. Tsujunkyou is actually famous as it's main purpose is as an aqueduct, and every once in a while, to clear the accumulated dirt and debris inside water is released from the sides of the bridge/aqueduct. When we arrived, it was just a normal bridge, but after crossing the bridge and turning back, lo and behold the show was on! The flow of water gushing from both sides of the bridge was quite powerful.

Satisfied already, we however continued on to Takachiho, where the scenery was breathtaking. We did the tourist thing and rented a rowboat which allows you to travel along part of the gorge itself. The towering walls of rock and blue-green water coupled with the trees around made for a peaceful environment. Splashes of yellow, red, orange leaves burst out here and there. Leaves tumbled and stumbled slowly down into the gorge, catching the sun as they fell.

Visited Amanoiwato shrine (天岩戸神社) after that, had a late lunch, and came back. The shrine itself is quite interesting, built near what is believed to be the cave where Amaterasu hid herself. You can't visit that cave, but there's another small shrine set into the cliff nearby as well.

A very satisfying day.

Went out with some friends from Taiwan today. First we headed for Kikuchi gorge （菊地渓谷）. Clear, blue water and calm forests. Had an いきなりだんご.Then it was off to Daikanbo（大観峰）, 4th or 5th time there for me though. It was really clear weather today, we could see all the peaks of Mt. Aso. Headed down into the caldera for lunch and a brief visit to Aso shrine, before heading to Kurokawa onsen（黒川温泉） where we relaxed at Ikoi-ryokan（いこい旅館）. Came back to Fukuoka and had dinner at Ippudou near school.

And it happened to be really cold today too.

Just got my digital camera back yesterday from repairs. Went down to Bic Camera at Tenjin to collect it. Woohoo!

I just had to take a picture of my breakfast and post it up at my other blog.

Happy now.