Statement Concerning Ishiyama

Statement of Hirako (26 Aug - 4 Sept 1947) About 10 Kay 1945 Ishiyama asked if he could use the dissection room; Hirako granted permission, but he did not come. A few days later he did come, but didn't ask permission. When Ishiyama called about the 10th he told Hirako that the Army had asked him to perform an operation; wanted to use the dissection room because it was large. Ishiyama was very high ranking in the Medical College; didn’t question him. Since he did not come the following day as he suggested, Hirako called him, asked him why he had not come; he said that the army had not brought the patient. Hirako said that if he wanted to use it later, he should let.him know. Ishiyama said he could not say whether he would need it or not since that would be up to the army if he did he would call. Hirako intended to ask him the next time he called as to the use of the room— wanted to be sure it would be suitable.

Hirako had given orders for the Anatomy Dissection Room to be cleaned on the day he received the first request from Ishiyama.

Ishiyama may have said a Prisoner was to be operated on, but Hirako doesn’t recall. Had an idea it might be on a PW. The army would probably call on Ishiyama to perform an operation because the army medical section could not handle all types of cases and Ishiyama was one of the doctors who had been appoihted to help the army in certain things. Hirako thought it strange that the autopsy room was to be used for the operation because Ishiyama had his own operating room. Hirako gave him permission because he thought Ishiyama might not have enough room and that the Japanese might be angry if they knew a Pri­soner was being given medical treatment by the University.

The doctors who performed the operations were Ishiyama, Komori, Mori, Hirao, Torisu, surgeons from Ishiyama Surgery and specialists. Ishiyama specialized in gall stone and lung operations, had also done brain operations, but no real brain specialist at KIU.

If the trigeminus nerve were removed, pains in the face would disappear; the part of the nerve controlling facial sensory nerves would be cut and the part controlling the muscles of mastication would be left intact. Such an operation is very rare. Pains in the face would have to be present to neces­sitate it; Ishiyama was not qualified to perform it. During one of the opera­tions he asked Hirako where the trigeminus nerve was located, but Hirako didn't tell him. Hirako saw that the skull v/as already open, in the wrong position to reach the nerve; told this to him, went back and got a brain to show him; Ishiyama went on with his operation. Such an operation by Ishiyama would have been experimental.

About a week after Ishiyama first called, someone on Hirako's staff came to him and told him that the professor from surgery was in the Anatomy Dissection room performing an operation. Ishiyama had not called to ask permission, so Hirako immediately went to the Dissection Room, where there were present Ishi­yama and several doctors with masks and several nurses. A lung operation was being performed, but the lung had not been removed; Hirako watched for a few minutes, left.

Ishiyama was the main surgeon, Komori his first assistant, Ishiyama was cutting and removing the ribs.

Statement of Hirako (26 Aug - 4 Sept 1947) Cont'd...... Hirako didn’t hear any more about this operation until Sato and Ishiyama came to Hirako in November 1945.

The next day Hirako called Ishiyama, asked him why he had not let him know, that he could not use the room any more for operations, had not even told him after the operations of the fact. He replied that the army men had come so quickly he didn't even have time to make preparations for the operations and there was not time to let Hirako know. Hirako later checked with the servants and found that Ishiyama and his servants came from one way and the army Pri­soners from another way, so he must have had some warning.

Hirako was then waiting for a phone call from Ishiyama, was going to ask him what kind of operation he' was going to perform, then would decide whether to let him use the operating room, because the building was not too sanitary, and if it were a serious, such as an abdominal operation, Hirako would refuse.

2nd series - Ishiyama, probably Komori, Mori, Hirao, and army officers were present. Hirako saw only the first of the 2 operations.

Hirako understood that the Prisoners, instead of being executed at HAH, were sent to KIU. Sato affirmed this after the war in November when he and Ishiyama told him that these Prisoners had bombed shrines and other places, were to be executed anyway. When Hirako saw the 2nd operation - heart - he felt it was unnecessary, thought that Ishiyama was doing something pretty unusual and pro­bably something he shouldn't have done, so Hirako got mad about it and walked out from this 2nd operation.

While watching the first operation, had a feeling they were doing something they shouldn’t. A day after the 1st operation, Hirako called Ishiyama told him he had done something he shouldn't, told him not to use the place again; was even more angry after the 2nd time; told him the same thing over the telephone.

The day after the 2nd operation, Hirako phoned Ishiyama, told him he should not use Hirako's place without permission, that he had come in the 2nd time without permission, that Hirako would not thereafter give him permission.

3rd series - Hirako went, saw about 10 people in the room, including Ishiyama, Komori, Hirao and Mori, 2-3 nurses, 2-3 army personnel.

A brain operation was being performed. Ishiyama on seeing Hirako asked about the substantia nigra and the trigeminus nerve. The bone was removed from the parietal section, about 10 centimeters in diameter. Hirako believes the patient was face down, a head frame was not used.

Hirako tried to explain about this nerve, but Ishiyama did not seem to complete­ly understand, so Hirako went to his office, got a preserved brain, brought it in, and using that, explained to him. Ishiyama didn't say anything, went on with his operation.

It looked to Hirako as if he were operating on the small brain or the cerebel­lum. Hirako on being questioned thought Ishiyama was going to go further in the brain. Hirako thot that Ishiyama was probably going to do some research by

Statement of Hirako (26 Aug - 4 Sept 1947) examining the part of the brain he asked about. When he asked about the substantia nigra and the trigeminus nerve, Hirako had a feeling,that the operation was experi­mental .

After the 3rd operation, Hirako talked to someone about Ishiyama causing him a lot of trouble. Hirako felt Ishiyama was doing wrong in performing these operations. Only Hirako had the authority to stop Ishiyama from using the room. Hirako then states that the army was in power, and that Hirako could not, therefore, keep Ishiyama out. Hirako could not say anything to Ishiyama since he was a civilian attached to the army.

In about April 1946 Ishiyama and Hirako threw the ashes of the flyers away, but the next day Hirako came back and picked them up, still in the 4 envelopes.

Hirako numbered each envelope with ashes. In April 1946 Ishiyama saw them, was very angry that Hirako had them, said he should throw them away.

The operations were performed by Ishiyama, a civilian temporarily attached to the army.

At the first operation, Hirako heard the army personnel whispering; "These are B-29 flyers, Americans, and they are on orders to be executed.After the war, Hirako heard the sarnie story from Sato and Ishiyama.

In November 1945 Sato and Ishiyama dropped in unexpectedly, Ishiyama introduc­ing him to Sato. They said they were sorry they caused Hirako trouble, that the army would assume responsibility for the operations, they didn't want the Uni­versity to be involved, and that Hirako should not say anything to anyone about the operations. They said the Prisoners were on a list to be executed anyway.

There were rumors at the University that Ishiyama was responsible for some operations. Hirako told Fukuda, Ogata, Minami, Jinnaka and a student repre­sentative that the army was responsible, that Ishiyama had been ordered by the army.

In April or May 1946 Ishiyama told Hirako that most of his nurses who had been at the operations were gone, suggested Hirako get rid of his servants who had known about the operations, Hirako told him he didn't think it sould be done, did nothing.