Representatives of multiple Japanese civil groups slammed Japan's Foreign Ministry for denying entry of relatives of Chinese victims of Unit 731 on Thursday, saying it's an "abuse of power" which would hinder their efforts on improving Japan-China relations.

Last month, Japan rejected visa request from 12 Chinese, including families of Chinese victims of Japan's notorious Unit 731, a chemical and biological warfare research troop of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. They were invited to symposiums in Tokyo on wartime issues on Nov. 27-29.

Keiichiro Ichinose, a Japanese lawyer who was in charge of inviting the Chinese, told a press conference that the Japanese Embassy denied their visa request for the reason of "instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan."

Ichinose pointed out that it was very abnormal since four of them had been to Japan several times before.

Japan's Foreign Ministry officials did not give specific reasons for rejecting visa applications of the Chinese.

Representatives of the organizing committee said that it was very likely that the Japanese government was not satisfied with the theme of their symposiums which would focus on "abolishing war bills and facing up to history of Japan's invasion of China and colonization of the Korean Peninsula."

Hiroshi Tanaka, a professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, said the symposium was aimed at discussing historical issues through non-governmental exchanges so as to avoid the repeat of wars.

"The visa denial would definitely damage the normal exchanges of the two peoples and put their efforts of improving bilateral relations in vain," Tanaka said.

Takakage Fujita, director general of a group established to uphold and develop the globally-accepted Murayama Statement, criticized the Foreign Ministry, saying it was an act of "abuse of power" and could not be forgiven.

The Murayama Statement, issued by then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995, apologized to its Asian neighbors that had suffered from Japan's colonization, war of aggression and wartime brutalities under its militaristic past.