In 1933, the Kanda Army Division of Infectious Disease...
the 'Troop of Saiholi'...
set up the 'Research-unit of Germs' in Harbin...
and was coded as Troop 731.
70 doctors and scientists...
were ordered by the Japanese Government...
to experiment with living people from China, Korea and Mongolia.
They were called 'Maruta'...
and these poor people had to undergo all kind of deadly games.
They used mice on them to see the effect of mice biting people...
or to see the effect of killing with all kinds of germs.
Or they studied the symptoms of syphilis on women.
Anyway, experimenting on living people and killing them...
is cruel and cold-blooded.
In 1945 the Allied declared war to Japan.
The atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Russians marching to Manchuria...
forced Troop 731 to disintegrate and retreat to Japan.
1945, August 10th
In the morning of the 9th of August...
foreign armies declared war to our Japanese Empire.
Our armies in Peony Lake have resisted bravely.
Because of the swift progress of Russian armies from Mongolia...
they may be able to reach New Capital before us.
General Saiholi, your troop must be through New Capital before this.
Yes, general. You needn't worry.
We'll pass New Capital before Russia gets there.
Unless our enemies blow up the train, we will drive on as scheduled.
If we can't pass through, we will fight.
If needed, we will commit suicide to keep our secret.
Right, make sure everybody understands...
that they must be alert to stop penetration of our armies.
This is a critical moment and from information we have in hand...
we know the German Research Center has been taken over by Russians.
We have been exchanging information with them.
The progress of our research unit is expedient.
I understand, General.
If the Russians get hold of this information...
they will surely try to tell the world about it.
The responsibility of Troop 731 is to change location. You, Troop 100...
We will release all horses used for experiments
on plague and so on, and send them to Chinese and Russians.
Right.
After Germany, USA is also researching on the war on germs.
The only country that manages to make use of germs...
is our country, the Japanese Empire.
So this is a critical moment for the Empire...
and for members of Troop 731 and Commanding Unit 100.
The Japanese Government orders you to be alert and you must proudly...
keep this a secret. Am I clear?
Yes.
Ready to shoot.
Long live Your Majesty.
Fire.
Troop 731 of Kanda, Manchuria will remain a secret.
Whoever reveals anything will end up like him.
What is your name?
Shobu Akiyama.
And you? - Shola Ito.
Kasai Yamada.
Ilo Shinshima.
It's said he belongs to your autopsy class.
Yes sir, but this man has betrayed our Nakita Group.
Those are canons of the Russians. They'll be here in a few days.
Until the end of the Sacred War of the Big East...
and his Majesty's victory, we will change location.
We pass through Manchuria, Korea and back to Japan.
But first we will have everything destroyed before we leave.
Yes.
Hello? Is this Tunghwa? Hello.
Pass me to the Governor House. Saeko Matsushita, please.
Hello? Saeko? Your sister speaking.
How is your situation there?
Louder please, Saeko.
Dr. Leko, I'm calling my sister.
Don't you know the rules of Troop 731?
You mustn't contact outside in any circumstances.
No matter who it is.
And no matter what it is about.
But Russian armies are coming here.
Take it easy.
Don't forget your duty.
You are going to give medicine to all injured people.
Yes.
Arsenic?
No, I can't give them this.
This is the order of Lieutenant General Saiholi.
They mustn't die. We're doctors. We should take them along with us.
Bullshit.
Yes.
Don't move.
Are you alright, Ito?
The place is full of plague germs. Let's go away.
No, I won't go. - Come.
Quick. This way.
Come this way.
How is he?
He's... - He was injured by a hammer.
Get out. It's fatal if it's infected by germs.
Yes.
Move on.
Report...
We should use the special weapon.
We must set up a dead line for our furious enemies.
Very good, Shinshima. Do it well. - Yes.
Where's Akiyama?
Report, deputy Kameda.
Seeing Kenji Olin, who had his appendix removed.
What? At a time like this? He left his post without permission?
Tell him that we have to change location tonight.
Two pieces of luggage allowed, no withdrawal of money.
Yes.
My fellows.
You're now going back to Japan.
As captain of Troop 731 of Kanda, I must remind you of a few things.
First, when you're back in Japan...
you are not to reveal the secret of Troop 731...
and you may not tell anyone about it.
And you mustn't have any contact with each other.
You are not allowed to take up any post in the civil service.
If anyone reveals the secret of Troop 731...
I will find him, wherever he is hiding...
and kill him at once.
Yes.
Start.
Is he ill?
No, just influenza.
I have aspirin.
Take some now.
Thank you.
Which team are you in? Is there anyone from the exploring team?
Yamada, you must bear in mind...
Leave me alone.
Yamada, calm down.
Let me go. My dad and sister are in the exploring team.
I can't leave alone.
Have you seen my parents?
Yamada from Shiba Prefecture, you hear?
Don't do this.
You want to die?
Calm down.
Can they hear you even if you shout like this?
What if they can?
Not only your parents...
but millions of Japanese who join exploring teams to Manchuria...
Do you know?
Try to keep calm.
I know, they won't be able to hear me.
But I...
Yamada...
Yamada. - Ito.
Ito.
Ito, wake up.
Sorry, don't blame me.
How is he?
Ito.
Where are you going?
Go and find Dr. Leko. Ito seems to be infected with plague.
You mustn't go.
Why not?
He must go back to Japan.
Like us he must go back to Shiba Prefecture. Got it?
But he will infect all of us here.
You mustn't let the whole train ruined by him.
If you dare report, I'll kill you.
Don't save me.
If I'm really infected, I...
Ito, are you afraid?
You must live on.
I'm not afraid.
Look, I left this in Nanjing.
I just fear to be captured by Manchurians.
Shut up.
Jump off, now.
The Manchurian driver has run away.
Catch him alive.
Stand there.
How dare you insult Japanese?
Japanese, you...
Yamada.
I will kill you. Dare you run away?
Get up.
Hold it. Watch me.
It's okay, you'll recover soon.
Vaccine causing Typhoid fever.
Move.
Is there no one driving?
We have not only him, we have our own driver.
Yamada.
Where is he? - Got rid of already.
He's dead? - The guy's become a time bomb.
Has he become a source of epidemic?
That's the effect we want.
Our driver.
You have pity on that Manchurian?
I don't, but I have pity on myself.
On yourself?
What do you mean?
I just left HQ of 731, but this train becomes a second HQ.
You're right. Troop 731 is the pride of the Empire.
731 is 731.
I don't understand why you lot want to stay together.
We're from the same village. We've grown up together.
Didn't you know that members of 731 are from the same Prefecture?
So that's the reason why you must take Ito along.
He's not the first one actually.
Ever since we study these germs, more than 300 men have died.
And how many maruta have we killed to experiment on these germs?
Chinese, Korean...
Doctor, they're material for experiments.
No, they're human beings.
They're just material for experiments, 'maruta'.
Yes, they're maruta.
Remember: These are not human beings, but maruta.
What did you just say?
I said they're not material.
Say that again.
Are they different than you? They have parents and families.
Forget it, Akiyama.
If you're right, we're beasts.
We are both doing killings and things...
Someone is sick in that compartment.
Where is Ito?
Sir.
How is he?
He has flu.
No contagious disease? - No.
OK, I'm sorry.
Thanks.
Look at that man.
What?
Don't come. Don't get near.
I was infected with bacteria.
What is this?
No, what is this?
Food of Manchuria, good.
What is this? No...
What happens to you, Ito?
What is this?
This is heart. - No.
This is heart. Give me...
You did it too? Autopsy on living people?
Alright.
Ito, we have no choice. - It's heart.
This is heart.
Who is it? - Doctor Leko.
Everybody get up.
We have just received the latest news.
In order to save our people...
we must safeguard that our holy land won't be involved in war.
His majesty has announced this order:
He announced to accept the Boston and Cairo declarations.
The Japanese Empire will surrender unconditionally.
No, we mustn't surrender.
We must not surrender.
No surrender.
We haven't lost the war.
We must never surrender.
No surrender.
Our Japanese Empire will never lose.
Troop 731 of Kanda Manchuria will not put down our weapons.
We safeguard the most classified secret of the Japanese Empire.
Whoever puts down his weapon will be regarded as a traitor of our nation.
Yes.
Akiyama, is this suitable?
It's His Majesty who surrendered, not we.
A soldier is not a soldier if he puts down his weapons.
Don't you claim to be Ioyal to His Majesty.
We don't want to die innocently.
The innocent may live if you put down your weapons.
You...
I suspect you are not a Japanese.
Forget it.
Tama...
Don't blame Akiyama. He's right to worry.
In Nanjing, when the Chinese armies surrendered...
we... killed everyone of them.
So...
Ito.
How are you now?
Give him an injection now. - Hurry.
Assemble at once.
Take care of Ito, OK? - Yes.
Thanks.
Put up your weapons.
Put them down.
Fellows, we're ordered to rush past New Capital tonight.
Even if we confront attack, we won't stop.
If we fail to rush past, we'll fight with them.
We mustn't let the enemies find out what Troop 731 is doing.
And if the worst should happen...
we must commit suicide to safeguard the biggest secret of the Empire.
Report.
Go ahead.
What if the Russians haven't occupied New Capital?
Idiot. - Yes.
Even if it is not occupied, we must be prepared to die.
Even in this critical moment, we must be alert.
Every compartment must supply its own needs.
Within one hour, in a radius of 20 miles...
we must defend ourselves in case of attack, got it?
Tama, go and eat something.
Are you still angry with me?
Sorry, it's all because of the war.
The war is over.
Forget it, surrender is surrender.
It's not just an insult for me.
Akiyama.
Don't be angry with me, Tama.
Water.
I'll do it, Akiyama.
Give me some water.
Akiyama, try some.
See how it is.
I can't believe you have such good wine.
Let me have a look.
It's 'General'.
Good wine.
I think...
we'd better drink it only when we get back to Japan.
Right, we should keep good things aside.
Keep it?
If the Russians occupy New Capital, we're finished.
If they have arrived, we're dead meat.
Let's drink this 'General' as well.
Shall we bet?
You may lose your bet. We might live after all.
That's right.
We shall drink this when we get back to Japan.
What? We must fight?
What's on?
We might have to rush through New Capital tonight.
Let 's eat then. - Come on.
Let's eat some more, or it will be too late.
What are you doing?
Ito should take medicine.
Ito takes his medicine.
Listen, they're Japanese.
Take this.
Don't open it.
Nobody is to move.
Let them get in.
Without order, no one is to open the door.
This is Troop 731, not a train for refugees.
Are you a human being? Don't you know they are Japanese?
Yamada.
Yamada...
You are wrong again.
You think you're helping those people by letting them in?
Look at Ito.
You want these poor Japanese to be infected with the plague?
It is all because of me.
Why shout? Though we lost the war...
don't forget we're the top-grade Japanese.
We must keep the order.
Yamada, I'm sorry.
It's OK.
Just go to sleep.
We're lucky as the Russians haven't arrived in New Capital yet.
We might never sleep again if we don't sleep now.
New Capital is the capital of Manchuria, but I didn't expect this.
We've come at the wrong time.
Why isn't the train moving?
There is battle ahead.
When will the train start?
I don't know.
Akiyama, what's in your mind?
I think 731 is really the master of the Empire.
This is why they protect us.
These days, wherever we go, battle follows.
There's one explanation.
Whoever our enemies are, Chinese, Russian, they want to block us.
Their goal is the secret everyone wants to reveal.
What do you want?
I want to go into town to get medicine.
Go into town?
Can... Can you?
I'll try.
Do come back in time. It's bad if we lose you.
Did you hear the sentry said there's a battle ahead.
It's still quite far away, don't worry.
Akiyama.
You are here? I've been looking for you.
Ito is in a bad condition. What shall we do?
Don't worry, we will find a way.
Stand there.
He looks like Japanese. - No, move on.
What do you want?
Arsenic arsenate, sulfadiazine and stretomycianide.
Usually Chinese buy these, not Japanese.
And soldiers never buy these medicine.
Please, sir.
Wait a while.
You come from Huang Lung Province?
No, why?
Huang Lung is infected with plague. Thousands of people have died.
Huang Lung Province?
Attention, our mission this time is...
the spreading of infection. Location: Huang Lung Province.
This land belongs to the Chinese, not to Japan.
Take the medicine and go home.
Thanks.
Akiyama, what are you doing?
Are you mad?
What are you doing?
This is the information you saved from fire.
Remember we have them too.
You mustn't destroy them.
Ruining them means ruining us.
What... What have we done?
1945, August 1 7th.
Look right.
Look ahead.
My fellows, the situation has changed.
Huang Lung unit has decided to send a contact...
to Tunghwa to assist our division to retire.
As you know, Tunghwa is at the frontier of Manchuria...
and may be occupied any time by Russians or anti-Japanese guerilla.
Each compartment must send a man. This must be voluntary.
Doesn't anyone walk up for the country?
OK, I'll call out the names.
Kasai Yamada.
Walk up.
Yamada.
Are you a soldier?
Are you a man? Where's your spirit?
You want to go to court martial?
Report, Ilo Shinshima will take part.
Come, drink some.
Why did you walk out?
As one of us must go.
It's fate.
Come, just for my farewell.
Please.
I won't drink to that.
Shinshima, I'm so sorry.
Yamada, don't say anymore.
You hadn't walked out if not for me.
We all know going to Tunghwa now means dying.
I don't want to die, I want to live on.
I hope you can understand.
I understand...
Everyone wants to survive.
As an orphan I have nothing to worry, so I will go.
Why say this?
Come on. Let's drink.
Come on, drink.
Drink.
- Shinshima.
May I drink some too?
Tama.
Thanks.
To your good health.
I hope you can come back safely.
This is my sister, Saeko.
She is a typist at the Government House. I hope you can find her.
Please.
Don't worry.
Saeko, there 's someone for you.
Where?
Look, it's him.
How are you? - Fine.
Miss Saeko.
I'm Yamada. Your sister sends me to visit you.
How is my sister?
She is fine, but she misses you very much.
I miss her too.
She called me days ago, but the line was cut before I answered.
Maybe it's because... - Why?
Saeko, I've come here to visit you and also to take you with me.
Take me away?
Right, take you back to Japan.
No, I must wait for my sister here.
Your sister is following the troop. She can't come.
It's dangerous for you to stay here.
You will only be safe if you leave Manchuria.
You mean we have to go to Korea?
Korea belongs to Japan, it's well protected.
OK, I'll go to Korea to meet my sister.
I must thank you, when shall we go?
The troop is setting off tomorrow morning. I'll pick you up tonight.
But...
You mustn't let anyone know.
Yes, I see, thank you very much.
We're setting off tomorrow on time, via Chion and Korea.
Check carefully about everyone's weapon.
We must be ready to fight. - Fight?
Right, though His Majesty has surrendered...
we must be secretly armed.
Got it?
Wait here. Don't let anyone see you.
Shinshima.
Yamada, where's Saeko? Hasn't she come?
She's come. Look, over there.
Go and bring her here.
Hey, we haven't all day.
This is Shinshima. - Thank you.
Miss Saeko, there's no time to introduce.
We're setting off soon. You might suffer on the train so you must...
Aren't we setting off tomorrow morning?
The situation has changed. We must leave Tunghwa at once.
Why?
This afternoon, the Democratic Allied sent representatives to talk with us.
They gave us severe conditions.
They ordered us to hand out all weapons but we refused.
What shall we do? - You must hide Miss Saeko now.
It'll be safe when we arrive in Korea.
Remember.
Come with me.
Stand there.
Who is she?
The sister of a colleague. We want to take her.
Idiot. Guards, come over.
Take her away. - No...
Yamada, Shinshima, help me.
We rely on you, please. - Idiot.
Let me go.
The enemy is here.
Why are you here?
I'll bring you back.
Yamada...
Wake up. Yamada.
Yamada.
How are you?
Wake up.
I can't go back now.
Yamada. Stay awake.
I really regret coming to China.
Yamada.
Saeko, you must leave this place. Hurry. Go now.
Leave Troop 731. The farther the better.
Go away. Run for your life.
Yamada.
Tama, where's the medicine?
Tama, why don't you give him an injection?
It'll be a waste now.
We need you. You mustn't get infected.
It's the plague.
One man is dead...
but many people must have been infected.
We must take immediate measures...
or this train will become a dead train.
Tama.
Your compartment must isolated.
The whole train must be isolated instead.
What do you mean?
There's enough germs to destroy the whole of Far East on this train.
But the first infected person was found in your compartment.
I've given injections to all people in our compartment.
You injected everyone? - I must...
What we must do is to get rid of the source of the epidemic.
Tama, you have dangerous thoughts.
I learned this from medical books.
You seem to be sick.
It's the flu.
OK, I trust you, take care.
I will.
Must they be isolated?
No need.
Report, we found plague on the train.
You must bring them all back.
One left behind means danger of revealing the secret.
Taking them all back will prevent this.
And everyone on the train must have an injection, no exceptions.
Samples of germs must be disposed of.
All samples of typhoid fever, plague and cholera must be thrown away.
Go ahead.
Where to?
Along the track.
Japanese refugees are along the track.
There are even more Chinese and Russian soldiers.
Yes.
Open the door.
Throw them all away.
No, don't. - This is an order.
No, Akiyama, save it.
Listen, you are seriously ill.
Try to rest.
It's sad...
And we don't have news from Shinshima and Yamada.
You mustn't leave me.
I'm afraid.
I'm really afraid.
You, a Japanese, are afraid?
You?
What do you mean?
I... I'm not Japanese, I'm Korean.
I was sold to Japan...
when I was 6 years old.
Mummy...
My sister. - Mummy.
Mother...
General.
Kameda, a hard time for you. - And for you too.
You'll be arriving in Pusan soon. You will wait there.
Yes.
But our soldiers must be ready to return to Japan at any time.
Yes.
The train must stop in the suburbs. It's a Chinese town.
Shinshima. - Akiyama.
Shinshima, you're back? How are you?
Yamada... He was...
Yamada.
Still awake?
And you?
I can't sleep.
What's on your mind now?
You are right.
What we must do...
is to dispose of the source of epidemic.
But you are the creator of germs.
That's right.
We are...
the Troop of Evil.
Get your weapons.
Be ready to fight.
Rub them all off.
There's a survivor here.
Bastard. - You are an idiot.
You can kill me, idiot.
We were attacked in Manchuria, and now in Korea too.
We are like mice to them.
Where's Tama?
Tama.
Have you seen Tama Matsushita? - No.
Tama.
Tama Matsushita.
Akiyama, have you found her? - I don't see her.
Maybe she has been captured by Korean guerilla?
Over there.
Tama Matsushita.
I've come to save you.
Tama, I've come. Why did you come here?
I must go home. I want to find mom.
You are very ill. You'll die if you stay here.
I must die in my homeland.
It's OK. We have medicine. We'll heal you.
Leave me alone.
It's been 18 years...
I could never tell anyone I'm Korean.
I can't see my mom.
I'm not even a human being.
Tama. - Leave me alone.
You are mad.
Tama, I can't live without you.
Tama...
Report.
Go ahead.
Tama Matsushita of our troop is infected with plague, we need advice.
Mom, I'm back.
Let me go.
Mom, I'm back.
Akiyama.
Members of 731, when you go back to Japan...
you must not ever reveal the secret of Troop 731 to anyone.
Second, you must never contact each other.
And you must never take up a position as a civil servant.