Japanese scholar committed to revealing truth on Japan's wartime atrocities

A Japanese scholar specializing in the history of Japan's germ warfare during World War II is committed to revealing the truth about the country's wartime atrocities to more people.

Masataka Mori, a former professor of irenology at Shizuoka University, has spent decades in researching on the notorious Unit 731 and Japan's germ warfare against other countries. He has interviewed many Unit 731 members and victims in an effort to recover the historical truth.

To achieve this, Mori has traveled extensively between China and Japan, gathering testimonies from both former Japanese soldiers and Chinese victims. He produced a series of documentaries detailing the crimes committed by the Japanese invaders in China.

Mori, 82, who now lives in Shizuoka Prefecture, became aware of World War II history during his student years, which led him to question the narratives taught in Japanese schools.

"I learned about the war and gained some knowledge in elementary and middle school education. However, the histories of what our country did to China, the Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asia - histories of harming other countries - were not covered at all. Back then, I believed that the war was only about 'the Japanese experience of suffering'. This was the education I received. But later I realized that this viewpoint was very biased and did not face up to the true history," said Mori.

In the 1980s, Mori read Japanese writer Katsuichi Honda's "Travels in China," which features a series of articles on the atrocities committed by Imperial Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Moved by these accounts, Mori decided to make a documentary to present the history through real images.

He began to visit libraries to search for historical materials and knocked on the doors of former Japanese soldiers, asking them to come forward and recount their cruel actions before camera.

After eight years of diligent work, Mori completed his first documentary, "Invasion: Untold History."

"I asked the soldiers to tell the crimes they had committed in China, not only to me but also in front of the camera, which took a lot of courage. At first, most of them refused and were resistant. But gradually a few recognized that it was time to break their silence and not take the truth to the grave. They decided to tell their stories," said Mori.

Japanese scholar committed to revealing truth on Japan's wartime atrocities

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela