Japan civic group holds exhibition on Japanese army's wartime poison gas use

TOKYO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition on the Japanese military's production and use of poison gas during World War II (WWII) is being held from Aug. 23 to 28 in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Organized by a Japanese civic group, the "Japanese Military Poison Gas Exhibition" aims to expose the atrocities committed by the Japanese military, specifically the wartime production of poison gas and the waging of gas warfare during its war of aggression against China, and to reveal the crimes against humanity perpetrated by Japanese militarism.

According to materials presented at the exhibition, Japan produced poison gas on Okunoshima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, manufactured poison-gas shells in Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture, and trained personnel for chemical warfare in Narashino City in Chiba Prefecture, among other locations during WWII. The Japanese military also conducted chemical warfare operations in various parts of China.

After Japan's defeat, some chemical weapons were left behind in China, continuing to cause harm to local people. The Japanese government, however, has neither issued a formal apology nor provided compensation.

The exhibition uses photographs and written materials to document the history, while Japanese civilian researchers, photojournalists and others involved in researching the subject have been invited to speak at the venue.

Japanese photojournalist Kenji Higuchi has investigated issues related to poison gas warfare on Okunoshima Island since 1970, documenting victims of poison gas as well as the remains of facilities where chemical weapons were produced through his lens.

Speaking at the event, Higuchi recounted his experiences reporting on the subject and called on the Japanese government to face history squarely.

"Conducting chemical warfare was an atrocity committed by the Japanese military in its war of aggression against China, yet the Japanese government seeks to erase this part of history," Higuchi told Xinhua. "They committed such evil acts, and it is a disgrace for the country. That is why they want to erase it from history."

Masao, a visitor from Yokosuka, said Higuchi's account at the exhibition made him realize that this part of history had remained largely unknown for a long time.

"I never learned about this history at school. They don't teach this at school. It was really shocking to see these materials for the first time," another Japanese visitor told Xinhua.

Higuchi stressed the importance of preserving and conveying the historical record. "This history must be made clear. What was wrong was wrong, and what was right was right. We must become people capable of distinguishing right from wrong," he said.