Unit 731 - Nanasanichibutai

Japanese: 731部隊 - ななさんいちぶたい

The name of a secret biological (bacterial) warfare unit of the former Imperial Japanese Army. Officially, it was called the Kwantung Army Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department. The name Unit 731 was used from August 1941 (Showa 16) to May 1945, but today, its predecessor and successor organizations are generally referred to as Unit 731. Research and development of biological weapons in Japan began in August 1932, when an epidemic prevention research lab was established at the Army Medical School, headed by Shiro Ishii, a third-class military surgeon (equivalent to a major at the time). In the same year, Ishii went to Manchuria and established the Kwantung Army Epidemic Prevention Unit (codenamed the Kamo Unit) in Beiyinhe near Harbin. From then on, the defense aspects of biological and chemical weapons were handled by the Military Medical School, while the offensive aspects (weapons development and actual combat) were handled by units in Manchuria.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

旧日本陸軍の生物(細菌)戦部隊の秘匿部隊名。正式には関東軍防疫給水部という。731部隊という名称は，1941年(昭和16)8月から45年5月までのものであるが，現在では一般にその前身･後身機関を含めて731部隊と総称されている。　日本における生物兵器の研究･開発は，1932年8月，陸軍軍医学校に3等軍医正(当時，少佐に相当)石井四郎を主幹とする防疫研究室が設置されたことに始まる。また，同年石井は満州に赴き，ハルビン近郊背陰河に関東軍防疫班(秘匿名，加茂部隊)を設立し，以後，生物化学兵器に関して，防御面は軍医学校，攻撃面(兵器開発と実戦)は満州の部隊で進められることになった。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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