freedepositbingo|New book by Japanese scholar reveals Japan's WWII clandestine warfare truths

TOKYO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Japanese scholar Seiya Matsuno's new book, which unveils the historical truths of Japan's various "clandestine operations" during World War II (WWII), was officially published on Sunday.

Titled "Materials Related to Imperial Japanese Army Noborito Research Institute," the book includes 125 documents and over 1,500 original historical records meticulously compiled by Matsuno, a researcher at Meiji Gakuin University's International Peace Research Institute in Japan.

Over the past five years, Matsuno has conducted extensive research, uncovering over 100 historical documents related to the Noborito Research Institute, an Imperial Japanese Army laboratory that focused on "clandestine warfare," including counterintelligence and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

The source materials for the book primarily come from the National Archives of Japan, the Defense Ministry's National Institute for Defense Studies, the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Edo-Tokyo Museum, among others.

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

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

The newly published book encompasses almost all significant documents related to the institute, making it an indispensable collection for the historical study of the Noborito Research Institute.

Also known as the Army Ninth Technical Research Institute, the Noborito Research Institute was formerly the Army Science Research Institute. This organization was a crucial hub for Japan's "clandestine warfare" research during WWII, focusing on espionage, assassination techniques, counterfeiting currency, and creating balloon bombs.

Apart from original documents in Japanese, the book also contains post-war investigation reports on the institute by the United States.

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 recognized as the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China and China's whole-nation resistance against the Japanese invaders.

Explaining his choice of the release date for the book, Matsuno told Xinhuafreedepositbingo: "July 7 marks the anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident. Choosing this very day to publish the book embodies my heartfelt wish that the unfortunate history should never be repeated."■