Yasuji Kaneko

nihongo|Yasuji Kaneko |金子 安次|Kaneko Yasuji|extra=born January 28, 1920"Kaneko-san no Sensou(「金子さんの戦争」) Kumai Shinichirou (熊谷伸一郎)リトルモア ] was a soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army during the events of the Pacific War and claimed to be part of the notorious human experimentation unit, Unit 731. According to his testimony he raped many Chinese women during the invasion of China.cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/01/AR2007030100578.html
title=Japan's Abe: No Proof of WWII Sex Slaves
author=Hiroko Tabuchi
date=March 1, 2007
publisher=Washington Post
accessdate=2007-08-30
cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070304a1.html
title=Soldier confirms wartime sex slavery
author=Hiroko Tabuchi
date=March 4, 2007
publisher=Japan Times
accessdate=2008-01-17]

Testimony

In an interview with the Japan Times on September 26, 1996, Yasuji stated "I murdered 100 people or more by torture."Fact|date=November 2007 He also claimed that he joined the Nanking massacre and murdered and raped many Chinese people.Fact|date=November 2007

He testified during a private trial Yun Chung-Ok sponsored in December, 2000: "Comfort women was expensive. Therefore, I kidnapped, raped, and killed the Chinese woman." [ [http://www.ne.jp/asahi/tyuukiren/web-site/syougen/nhk_special.htm] (Japanese)] Kaneko has also admitted to participating in the use of chemical and biological weapons against Chinese as part of Unit 731. [ [http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/gendai-shi/yokuryu-sya-syogen/731-cholera.html] [http://www.geocities.co.jp/WallStreet/3521/kaneko.htm] [http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/gendai-shi/others/japan-times-kaneko.html] (Japanese)]

In the Japanese documentary "Japanese Devils," which features 14 Japanese soldiers retelling their roles in war crimes committed by Japan during World War II, Kaneko describes an incident in which he and his unit surrounded and wiped out an entire village for the thrill of it, rather than any threat it offered. The reviewer notes that all soldiers interviewed in Minori Matsui's film were ex-POWs of the Chinese government and may have been subjected to brainwashing programs that may call their testimony into question.cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20011205a2.html
title=Face to face with Imperial evil
author=Mark Schilling
date=December 5, 2001
publisher=Japan Times
accessdate=2008-01-17]

Controversy

According to historian Ikuhiko Hata, Kaneko's testimony is not consistent with well known historical facts. Hata argues that other historianswho have not utilised Kaneko's testimony, including Yoshiaki Yoshimi, an activist for Japanese war crimes responsibility. Additionally, according to Toshihiko Tanabe [cite book|和書
title = 検証旧日本軍の「悪行」——歪められた歴史像を見直す
author = 田辺敏雄
publisher = 自由社
year = 2003
id = ISBN 4-915237-36-2] , Kaneko was born in 1920 and volunteered for military service in 1940, therefore he could not have participated in the Nanking massacre, which occurred in 1937. Also, his division was located in Chintao, so he could not be a member of Unit 731, which was working in Manchuria, far Northern China. [Ikuhiko Hata 「終戦特集を検証する-「空想虚言症」の記憶にさいなまれる『朝日新聞』」 諸君 30(11) 1998.11]

ee also

*Japanese war crimes
*Japan and weapons of mass destruction

References