"The Undersigned Plenipotentiaries, in the name of their respective Governments:
Whereas the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices, has been justly condemned by the general opinion of the civilized world; and
Whereas the prohibition of such use has been declared in Treaties to which the majority of Powers of the World are Parties; and
To the end that this prohibition shall be universally accepted as a part of International Law, binding alike the conscience and the practice of nations; " - Passage from the 1925 Geneva Protocol from which Shiro Ishii realized the true potential of biological/chemical warfare
Profile
Despite his seemingly frail build, Ishii was considered to be a dominating figure in Unit 731. Ishii first drew inspiration for the Japanese Biowarfare Program from the 1925 Geneva Protocol that explicitly banned the use of biological agents in warfare. His initial research in biowarfare was based on biological and chemical weapons created by the West during World War I. Ishii oversaw all of Unit 731's extensive experimentation.
"His odd practice of raising bacteria as companions rather than as research subjects made Ishii notable to the staff of the University." -Sheldon H. Harris, author of Factories of Death, regarding the sociopathic mannerisms of Shiro Ishii.
"Regardless of the results, to disseminate bacteria among the civilized people will affect their morale."-Shiro Ishii
Encounter with the United States
After being arrested by the U.S. after the war, Ishii managed to negotiate and receive immunity from prosecution in exchange for data on human experimentation. Shirō Ishii was never prosecuted for any war-crimes he committed, and lived out the rest of his life in Maryland. He served as a bioweapons advisor to Fort Detrick.