A Japanese scholar has spent more than three decades studying human bones discovered at the site of a wartime Japanese army medical school in Tokyo, using his discoveries to educate his countrymen about Japan's wartime aggression.
Kazuyuki Kawamura, a scholar with expertise on Japanese germ warfare, used to be a ward councilor in Tokyo's Shinjuku district where, in 1989, a large number of human bones were found at the construction site for Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
The site was previously home to a medical school and an epidemic prevention institute operated by the Imperial Japanese Army, and it was believed to have been the headquarters of Unit 731, the notorious Japanese germ warfare army during World War II.
Three years after the initial discovery, a preliminary report on the discovery of the bones was published.
"From this report we learned that these human bones were specimens from the former Army Medical School. The report concludes with this: 'Traces of human manipulation, such as drilling, sawing, and crushing, were found in more than a dozen skulls. It is speculated that these operations were performed on the heads of the corpses after they had been severed from the neck," Kawamura told China Central Television in an interview in Tokyo.
After the initial report was released, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare opened its investigations which dragged on for years.
"The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare delayed releasing its report for about ten years, and another twenty years before finally releasing the contents of the 1993 questionnaire. These years represent a significant delay," Kawamura said.
Although it has been more than thirty years since he first decided to look more deeply into the story behind the bones, Kawamura has persisted on digging out the truth.
"The blacked-out sections were redacted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, meaning they were not to be shared with the public. However, after investigating, I learned the contents of the blacked-out sections: 'In the summer of 1940, a formalin-soaked human head was delivered from Harbin in an iron barrel. We participated in the removal and remember vomiting.' 1940 was the year Unit 731 was officially established. Therefore, the 'formalin-soaked human head' delivered from Harbin in the summer of 1940 could not have been the work of any unit other than Unit 731," Kawamura said.
Japanese scholar's study on history of army school sheds light on imperial Japan's crimes during WWII
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
