New book by Japanese scholar reveals truths about Japan’s secret warfare in World War II

(MENAFN- Nam News Network) Tokyo, July 7 (NNN-NHK) — Japanese scholar Seiya Matsuno’s new book, which reveals the historical truths about Japan’s various “secret operations” during World War II, was officially released today.

The book is titled “Materials Related to the Imperial Japanese Army, Noborito Research Institute” and contains 125 documents and over 1,500 original historical records carefully compiled by Matsuno, a researcher at the International Peace Research Institute of Meiji Gakuin University in Japan.

Over the past five years, Matsuno has conducted extensive research and uncovered over 100 historical documents related to the Noborito Research Institute, an Imperial Japanese Army laboratory that focused on “secret warfare,” including counterintelligence and espionage activities.

The source materials for the book come mainly from the National Archives of Japan, the National Institute for Defense Studies of the Ministry of Defense, the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Edo-Tokyo Museum, to name a few.

By combining the newly discovered documents with previously published ones, Matsuno has systematically compiled them into a comprehensive collection that reveals the secrets of the so-called research facility.

Matsuno explained that research at the Noborito Research Institute has so far relied mainly on memories, witness statements and a limited number of historical materials from a few participants.

The newly published book includes almost all important documents relating to the institute and is therefore an indispensable collection for historical research into the Noborito Research Institute.

The Noborito Research Institute, also known as the Army Ninth Technical Research Institute, was formerly the Army Science Research Institute. This organization was a major hub for Japan’s “secret warfare” research during World War II, focusing on espionage, assassination techniques, counterfeiting, and the manufacture of balloon bombs.

In addition to original documents in Japanese, the book also contains US investigation reports on the institute from the post-war period.

On July 7, 1937, Japanese troops attacked Chinese forces at the Lugou Bridge, also known as the Marco Polo Bridge, on the outskirts of Beijing. The incident is considered the beginning of Japan’s full-scale invasion of China and China’s nationwide resistance against the Japanese invaders.

Explaining his choice of release date for the book, Matsuno said: “July 7 is the anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident. The choice of this release date expresses my deepest wish that this unfortunate story will never be repeated.” – NNN-NHK

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