Chinese Scholars Demand Accountability for Emperor Hirohito Over Unit 731 War Crimes
Chinese scholars are reigniting a historical debate, arguing that Japan's late Emperor Hirohito should be held legally responsible for the crimes of Unit 731.
The emperor's long shadow over a forgotten war crime is once again in focus. Chinese scholars are now arguing that Japan's late Emperor Hirohito should be held accountable under international law for the atrocities of Unit 731. They claim the wartime ruler personally authorized the infamous program but was shielded from prosecution by US policy after World War II.
The Imperial Order
According to the scholars, the creation of Unit 731 wasn't a rogue military operation; it was sanctioned from the very top. The secret military unit was established in northeastern China by an imperial order in 1936. Its activities included horrific human experimentation and biological warfare, leading to the deaths of at least tens of thousands of civilians. The argument is that a program of this scale and depravity couldn't have existed without the emperor's explicit authorization.
Post-War Immunity and a Controversial Deal
Historically, Emperor Hirohito was never tried as a war criminal. This decision was largely a political one made by the United States, which sought to use the emperor's symbolic authority to ensure a smooth post-war occupation and stabilization of Japan. It's widely reported that in exchange for immunity for the emperor and key members of Unit 731, the US gained exclusive access to the unit's research on biological warfare—a controversial deal that has fueled historical debate for decades.
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