Film depicting Japanese germ warfare resonates with Hong Kong residents

The film "Evil Unbound", depicting the atrocities committed by the notorious Japanese germ warfare Unit 731 during World War II, has resonated with Hong Kong residents since it premiered in the special administrative region in south China on Thursday.

Unit 731, a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base in Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, served as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII.

Historical records indicate that from 1940 to 1945, Unit 731 used at least 3,000 people in human experiments, and more than 300,000 people in China were killed by Japan's biological weapons.

Filmgoers said that it is necessary to draw lessons from history and cherish the hard-won peace and happy life today, which were won by countless heroes who sacrificed their precious lives.

"Japanese militarism and imperialism are very atrocious and cruel. The harm it caused to the Chinese people is something we and our later generations will never forget. I think this period of history should not be forgotten," said a filmgoer.

"This is a period of history that we can never forget. I think the significance of watching the film lies in that it reminds us that we should remember history and never forget the scar from the past. We must never forget the national humiliation, always striving to be strong and forge ahead with determination," said another one.

David Ding, general manager of Sil-Metropole Organization, a co-distributor of the film, said he believes the film will be popular in Hong Kong and Macao.

"Today the film 'Evil Unbound' premiered in Hong Kong and Macao. Over 200 screenings were scheduled in 55 cinemas across the two regions. I believe the film will surely be well-received in Hong Kong and Macao," said Ding.

Since the film premiered worldwide Thursday, its box office, including pre-sales, has exceeded 1.2 billion yuan (around 168.70 million U.S. dollars) as of 18:14 Sunday, according to statistics from online platforms.

Film depicting Japanese germ warfare resonates with Hong Kong residents

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security