Japan War Crimes Apology
Metadata
- Japan War Crimes Apology
- October 28, 2024
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Japan War Crimes Apology TVR [revised version 10/16] HEADLINE: For Japanese Unit 731 survivor, speaking truth carries a cost TEASER: Member of notorious germ warfare unit speaks out after decades of silence PUBLISHED: BYLINE: William Gallo CONTRIBUTOR: Kiho Park, Ryota Mimaki DATELINE: Iida City, Japan VIDEOGRAPHER: Ken Watanabe, Gallo PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, Baragona VIDEO SOURCES: VOA, Reuters, AP PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_ TRT: 6:35 VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen TYPE: TVPKG UPDATE: This is for release 7 am Monday morning with companion web article also in HFR and ready to release. Gallo approved.)) ((INTRO)) [[Japan remains divided over how to confront its violent past, with parts of the country’s World War II history still sparking controversy. Now, one man with direct ties to that history is breaking decades of silence at great personal cost. VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Iida [EE-dah] City, Japan]] ((VIDEO: Sweeping drone shot of small village in Japanese Alps - roughcut 0:01-0:14)) ((NARRATOR)) A three-hour drive from Tokyo, in a quiet corner of the Japanese Alps. ((VIDEO: Medium drone shot slowly revealing home as Gallo, Shimizu walk toward entrance - roughcut 0:14-0:24)) Hideo Shimizu has been keeping a secret, in this small house nearly swallowed by the countryside. ((VIDEO: Exterior shot of Gallo, Shimizu walking through front door roughcut 0:24-0:32)) But Shimizu has had enough of staying quiet. ((VIDEO: From inside, NATPOP of door opening, then Gallo and Shimizu enter - roughcut 0:32-0:39)) At 94, he’s sharing his story with an American reporter for the first time. ((VIDEO: Two-shot of Gallo and Shimizu sitting at floor table, gesturing toward old group photo - roughcut 0:39-0:45 – if better, you can use two-shot from 0:57-1:04)) Speaking about one of the 20th century’s most horrific and little-known war crimes… ((VIDEO: Closeup of Shimizu’s finger pointing at himself in the group photo – roughcut 0:47-0:57)) …one in which he was personally involved. ((VIDEO: Shimizu soundbite – roughcut 1:05-1:15)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) "Look, I'm only telling the truth. It’s what happened." ((VIDEO: Slow pan of group photo of his Unit 731 colleagues - roughcut 1:10-1:35)) ((NARRATOR)) Shimizu was just 14 years old in 1945 when he joined Unit 731 of the Japanese Army. ((VIDEO: Closeup of Shimizu as child – roughcut 1:35-1:46)) Only a child, Shimizu didn’t realize what he’d gotten into. ((VIDEO: AP/CCTV stills of Unit 731 members – Video ID cctv065601 - Japan-Unit 731/Human Experiments, September 18, 2024 – timecode 0:53-1:04)) A covert germ warfare unit that tortured prisoners in the name of science. ((VIDEO: Continue same stills from above, but begin Shimizu soundbite - roughcut 4:00-4:08)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “I thought it was research meant to keep people from getting sick, but it was the exact opposite.” ((VIDEO: Can use any shots from roughcut 1:46-4:00)) ((NARRATOR)) His job was to take care of lab rats. ((VIDEO: Shimizu soundbyte on screen - roughcut 4:09-4:21)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “I really had no idea at the time that they were dissecting people in order to kill them.” ((VIDEO: Gunfire natpop from AP file footage of Japanese troops invading Manchuria in the 1930s – Video ID: G03678 - The Enemy Japan: Dream Of Empire – timecode 7:44)) ((NARRATOR)) The unit was just a small part of Japan’s violent occupation of China – though post-war investigations suggest it was perhaps the most cruel. ((VIDEO: CCTV footage of Unit 731 museum in Harbin – Gallo will send footage – timecode 0:53-1:06 – will need to remove some audio of Shimizu bytes)) This is all that remains of Unit 731’s former headquarters in Harbin, China, where gruesome human experiments took place. ((VIDEO: Slow-panning Reuters/CCTV drone shots of old Unit 731 buildings - 2:08-2:24 - please remove soundbite audio https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2024%3Anewsml_RWKSHKFHL&share=true if needed, you can also use the shot at 2:35 in cctv065601)) In some of these buildings, diseased prisoners were locked with healthy ones to see how fast deadly plagues would spread. And children were forced into gas chambers so doctors could time their convulsions. ((VIDEO: Shimizu talking with Gallo on floor - anything unused from roughcut 1:46-4:00)) Those images still haunt Shimizu 80 years later. ((VIDEO: Shimizu soundbite - roughcut 4:26-4:41)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “What was done was done. But even though I didn’t handle the [prisoners], I still feel guilty – just because I was a part of it at all.” ((VIDEO: CCTV footage of Shimizu in China bowing at stone pagoda/touring the site – same CCTV file as above – can use anything in timecode 0:09-0:27 or 1:43-1:50 – please note: there’s no audio in these shots)) ((NARRATOR)) Shimizu is now confronting the atrocities of his past. He recently returned to China for the first time, visiting the site where Unit 731 claimed its victims. ((VIDEO: Continue CCTV footage, but begin Shimizu soundbite – bite is at 1:50-1:56 in the clip)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) "If they could feel my regret, my heart would feel a little better.” ((VIDEO: Shimizu soundbyte on screen - 1:56-2:01)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “But they’re not going to.” ((VIDEO: Continue CCTV footage – include shots of Shimizu with Chinese journalists – 1:07-1:17, 1:29-1:39)) ((NARRATOR)) Shimizu’s apology was well-received in China, viewed as a long-overdue acknowledgment of Japanese atrocities. ((VIDEO: Sweeping drone shots of Iida City, Japan - roughcut 4:36-5:41)) But in Japan, including in the nearby town of Iida, Shimizu is causing a stir. ((VIDEO: Shots of pedestrians, other local scenes in Iida City - roughcut 5:41-6:40)) Some darker parts of Japan's past are still debated – and for many, quietly swept under the rug. ((VIDEO: Gallo/Goto walking around peace museum, various closeups of museum - roughcut 6:40-8:12 – if these walking shots look bad, then you can just skip to the below scenes for this part)) It’s tricky for city officials who run this museum. It’s meant to preserve the wartime experiences of local residents. ((VIDEO: Goto showing Gallo the Unit 731 exhibit - roughcut 8:12-10:10)) ((NARRATOR)) This small corner displays several items related to Unit 731. But it also includes a disclaimer noting “research is ongoing” and that society has, quote, “many different opinions” about the unit. ((Radio intro: Takeshi Goto is a local official who helps run the museum)) ((VIDEO: Goto soundbite - roughcut 10:10-10:24)) ((Takeshi Goto, Iida City Board of Education)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “People have lots of different views. So, we try to maintain a certain balance with this kind of exhibit.” ((VIDEO: Continue museum footage, with Goto and Gallo - can use any of the above)) The museum refused to display testimony from local Unit 731 members, including Shimizu. Some of it, they said, was too graphic for children. ((VIDEO: Hara and Gallo chatting on the floor, with various shots of his notebook - roughcut 10:25-11:24)) But local activist Hideaki Hara says it’s because the government prefers not to draw attention to things like Unit 731. ((VIDEO: Continue above shots, but begin Hara soundbite - roughcut 11:24-11:37)) ((Hideaki Hara, Local Peace Activist)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) "Iida and other local governments tend to align themselves with the central government.” ((VIDEO: Continue Hara soundbite on screen - roughcut 11:37-11:46)) ((Hideaki Hara, Local Peace Activist)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “This makes them reluctant to acknowledge Japan’s role as a perpetrator in these events.” ((VIDEO: Reuters file footage of Japanese rightwing protesters: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2020%3Anewsml_VACRCYCLJ&share=true OR use footage of politicians visiting shrine in the same file)) ((NARRATOR)) In recent decades, some conservative politicians, who want to restore Japan’s national power, have tried to rewrite the uglier parts of its history… ((VIDEO: Kingston on screen – basically, back-time the bite, with audio down - Gallo will send this raw interview separately - this soundbyte begins at 0:51 in that file)) …says Tokyo professor Jeff Kingston. ((VIDEO: Kingston soundbite - again, Gallo will send separately)) ((Jeffrey Kingston, Temple University, Japan Campus)) ((Male voice, English)) “They want to create a more beautified, white-washed wartime past they feel would be more palatable to young Japanese and help nurture pride in nation.” ((VIDEO: AP Archive of Japan’s surrender – Video ID: BM46065 - JAPAN'S FINAL FADE-OUT - Mar 7, 2012)) ((NARRATOR)) Japan isn't the only one that helped obscure history. After Japan's surrender in World War II, the United States gave immunity to many of Unit 731’s top scientists in exchange for their research, which U.S. officials said they wanted to keep out of Soviet hands. ((VIDEO: Continue same shot, but begin below Kingston soundbite, which begins at 1:45 in the interview file)) [[For radio: Again, Jeff Kingston]] ((Jeff Kingston, Temple University Japan Campus)) ((Male voice, English)) “The United States was a co-conspirator in the coverup of Unit 731.” ((VIDEO: Kingston soundbite on-screen - bite begins at 1:58 in interview)) ((Jeff Kingston, Temple University Japan Campus)) ((Male voice, English)) “Their experiments in biological warfare, chemical warfare, vivisection experiments – all this was considered useful and would give the United States a great advantage.” ((VIDEO: Another slow-panning drone shot of Shimizu’s house - roughcut 11:46-11:59 – if that doesn’t work, then just use Gallo/Shimizu shots below)) ((NARRATOR)) Back in his mountain home, Shimizu followed military orders to keep quiet. ((VIDEO: More shots of Gallo and Shimizu talking on floor - anything unused from 1:46-4:00)) For decades, he told no one about his past, even as many of his peers thrived. ((VIDEO: Shimizu soundbyte - roughcut 11:59-12:20)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “My superiors became professors at universities. Presidents of pharmaceutical companies. Members of the Self-Defense Forces. Can you believe it? And me? I couldn't even work in a hospital.” ((VIDEO: Shots of Hara and Shimizu chatting on the floor - roughcut 12:230-14:36)) ((NARRATOR)) These days, he’s busy planning speeches and giving interviews to journalists – mostly from China. But the price has been steep. Angry nationalists routinely attack him online. ((VIDEO: Shimizu showing pictures of his family roughcut timecode 14:36-16:00)) Even his family is now distant – especially since his trip to China. ((VIDEO: Continue above shot, but begin Shimizu soundbite - roughcut 16:00-16:09)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “My daughters don't come to this house now at all.” ((VIDEO: Shimizu byte on-screen, nearly crying - roughcut 16:12-16:21)) ((Hideo Shimizu, Former Unit 731 Member)) ((In Japanese, male voice)) “I just don’t understand why – not at all." ((Include the dramatic pauses before and after this soundbite)) ((VIDEO: End with any unused shots of Shimizu showing Gallo his Unit 731 pictures, and closeups of him as a child)) ((NARRATOR)) A high cost for telling the truth. But with the time he has left, Shimizu is done staying quiet. ((Bill Gallo. VOA News. Iida City, Japan))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date October 28, 2024 07:07 EDT
- Byline Bill Gallo
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English