“Hirohito had a secret Imperial fund earmarked for special weapons research, which may have been used in Manchuria and China for biological warfare research. The Emperor was an avid student of science and it is believed he personally monitored the progress of Unit 731’s research.”-Edward Behr, British Unit 731 Historian
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Emperor Hirohito was the emperor of Japan at this time period and approved the creation of Unit 731. He, just as Shiro Ishii, wanted to explore human anatomy and he too felt that the new information and technology created by Unit 731 would help Japan become a stronger nation.
Encounter with the United States
At the conclusion of the war, the Emperor was exonerated of any criminal prosecutions, and the responsibility of any crimes committed was shifted to Tojo. However, the modern-day Japanese government claims that Emperor Hirohito had no knowledge of the war crimes Unit 731 committed over the course of World War II.