Historical Background: What Was Unit 731?
Unit 731, officially known as the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army, was a top-secret Japanese biological warfare and human experimentation unit during World War II, founded and led by military doctor Shirō Ishii. Its mission was to develop biological weapons-and to test them on living humans.
Established: Around 1935, formally numbered "731" in 1936
Location: Pingfang District in Harbin, in what was then called "Manchukuo"
