Hiroshima, a city in Japan, is well known for being hit by an atom bomb in World War II, an event accelerating the surrender of Japan. As a matter of fact, Hiroshima itself was also a base used by the Empire of Japan to wage the war of aggression. There is a small island in Hiroshima prefecture called Okunoshima, which also has a terrifying name -- "Poison Gas Island". It was once used by Japanese militarists as a primary base to make chemical weapons to slaughter Asian people.
In the past, the Japanese government tried every means to conceal the history of Okunoshima as a site of poison gas production. The fascist military government of the Empire of Japan even erased Okunoshima from the map in 1932. Okunoshima hasn't been replotted on the map until 1947, two years after Japan's unconditional surrender. In 1988, with the efforts of some insightful people in Japan, Okunoshima Poison Gas Library was erected near Okinoshima pier. And now, the island has become a historical site for the memory of the war crimes committed by Japan in the past, reminding the present Japanese society not to forget the history.
The Poison Gas Library on the island records and presents the huge damage once made to Chinese people. From 1929 to 1945, Japan produced 7,376 tons of chemical agents of all types, and 7.76 million rounds of various chemical ammunitions, with 90% coming from Okunoshima. Poison gas charged ammunition was produced in the factories running 24 hours a day on the island, and shipped out uninterruptedly to be used on the battlefield in China. There are as many as 1,241 recorded cases of poison gas use, resulting in as many as over 200,000 casualties of Chinese military and civilians. The library has had more than 1.5 million visitors since its opening in 1988.
Yamauchi Masayuki, a 78-year-old retired teacher, is the director of the Poison Gas Island Historical Research Institute. He has been a volunteer docent in Hiroshima for 25 years. He hopes that the world, through his explanation, not only know that Hiroshima was a victim site of atom bomb, but also realize what sufferings the crime of aggression committed by Japan in the history brought to other countries.
"Although children of this age are not responsible for Japan's past aggression, they have the obligation to learn about the history. It's necessary to learn, because it's what Japan did in the history," he said.
Satou Toshiyuki, president of Fukuyama City University said, as a man born in Hiroshima, he has been holding the perspective of victims of atom bomb. However, he was deeply shocked when he saw Japan making poison gas on the island as an inflictor of war, as well as the employment of poison gas on the battlefield in China.
Honda Yoshichika, a professor from Hiroshima University, also stated that Hiroshima is the victim of atom bomb on one side, and poison gas production site on the other side. "I hope people see both sides at the same time, and it's not just Hiroshima, the people who experienced the history are dying now. As what was introduced to us just now, I think it's necessary for more people to face up to history as time goes on," he said.