毒ガスどくがす兵器へいき 旧きゅう日本にっぽん軍ぐん製造せいぞう所しょの記録きろく見みつかる 工員こういん被災ひさいの記録きろくも

Records concerning a former Japanese military factory that produced poison gas weapons during the war have been newly discovered.

It is recorded that workers who were mobilized by the military to carry out tasks were affected by poison gas, and a researcher who investigated the matter pointed out, If the existence of these records had been confirmed earlier, relief measures for those who worked at the time might have started sooner.

The document found is a report concerning the Sone Manufacturing Plant in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where the former Japanese Army produced poison gas shells and other munitions during the war. It compiles records from the fiscal year 1941, when the Pacific War began.

According to that, the number of workers mobilized by the military for the work was 305 as of June 1941, but by March of the following year, it had nearly tripled to 847.

The number of poison gas weapons that passed inspection after production was about 100,000 in the three months up to June 1941, but increased to about 160,000 in the three months up to December of the same year, indicating that production was being intensified.

On the other hand, it was recorded that multiple workers were reported to have been injured or fallen ill due to causes such as blister agents that corrode the skin and sneezing agents that cause sneezing and nausea, as well as a series of accidents in which gas leaked or was emitted from poison gas shells.

After the war, many former workers of the Sone Manufacturing Plant reported health problems such as respiratory diseases. However, since there were hardly any official records regarding the plant, the government claimed that it was difficult to verify the facts, and did not provide relief for approximately 50 years until it began covering medical expenses and other support in 1993.

The report was kept by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare after the war and was transferred to the National Archives in fiscal year 2018. It has only been available for public viewing since the year before last.

Meiji Gakuin University International Peace Research Institute researcher Seiya Matsuno, who discovered and analyzed the contents of the report, pointed out, If the report had been confirmed earlier, it could have served as physical evidence to support the testimonies of people who were working at the time, and relief measures might have been implemented sooner.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare says, We cannot comment as we have not been able to confirm the contents of the materials.

Kitakyushu City Sone Manufacturing Plant: The former Japanese Army began research on poison gas in 1914, prompted by the use of poison gas in World War I. In 1929, they began full-scale production of poison gas on Okunoshima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture.

In 1937, in order to fill shells and other munitions with poison gas produced on Okunoshima, the Sone Manufacturing Plant was established in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

On a site of approximately 50,000 tsubo, seven buildings and other structures were arranged, and work was carried out to fill shells and bombs with poison gases such as yperite, which causes skin blistering, and phosgene, which is suffocating.

After the war, it was used as a training ground for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, but it is now closed.

According to the National Institute for Defense Studies of the Ministry of Defense, although records indicating the production capacity of chemical weapons at the Sone Factory have been found, there have been no records confirming what kind of work the workers were engaged in or that any chemical gas leakage accidents had occurred.

Testimonies of Former Workers After the war, former workers who had worked at the Sone Factory suffered from aftereffects believed to be caused by poison gas. In 1989, about 300 of these former workers formed the Poison Gas Victims Mutual Aid Association and began activities to seek compensation from the government.

Mr. Kiyoshi Okada, who served as the president of the mutual aid association, stated in an interview at the time, As people get older, their aftereffects accumulate, and there are seriously ill patients whose conditions—such as heart problems and asthma—are thought to be caused by the gas. These people are repeatedly hospitalized and discharged, which is putting a significant strain on their household finances.

Additionally, in an NHK program broadcast in 1991, the testimonies of people who were working at the Sone Factory at that time were recorded.

For the eight years since the factory was established in 1937, Mr. Jiro Hatakeyama, who was involved in filling shells with poison gas, testified, At the time, we didnt think about taking precautions against poison gas. All we experienced were things like coughing, sore throats, and red, bloodshot eyes, but since there was no direct pain, we didnt really think anything of it.

After the war, Mr. Hatakeyama suffered from chronic bronchitis and said, Some of my friends passed away early, so I also feel sorry about that.

A man who worked at the factory office also testified that he had been ordered not to talk about the production of poison gas shells, saying, Of course, during the war, and even after the war, we parted ways agreeing never to speak of such things to each other.

Its a disgrace because it was made in violation of international treaties, so theyve thoroughly destroyed all the evidence, he said.