Statements Concerning Komori

Statement of Tanamachi (420, 9 June 1947) Cont'd — Tanamachi heard that Komori died at the University Hospital. Tanamachi had met Komori 3-4 times, was not a friend, was a likeable fellow—he had heard that he was a skillful surgeon. Komori was 45, grey hair.

Statement of Maekawa (23 May - 3 June 1947) Maekawa went to the KIU Hospital about 4 July with Tsurumaru to visit Komori, who was in the hospital at the time.

Komori was 2 grades ahead of Maekawa at Kumamoto City School, went to KIU when Maekawa went to Nagasaki medical college. After graduation they met several times. Komori studied under Professor Akaiwa, in charge of surgical clinic at KIU. Komori then became chief of surgery at Wakamatsu Hospital, in Wakamatsu City, which Maekawa knew about in 1941 and 1942, when he met him several times.

Komori, Mataki, Kanehisa came to Yoshimura to make reports on the Kaikosha Hospital work and for consultation.

Maekawa went to Kaikosha to see Komori or to take a bath, would usually see and talk with Komori on each visit, about the operation of Kaikosha Hospital, improvements to it, about Komori's research in neuralgia treatment, about the operations he had performed, and the patients.

Komori was a brilliant doctor, a good friend. According to what Komori told Maekawa, he would inject sea water or a table salt solution di­rectly into the artery for neuralgia treatment, if neuralgia below the waist into the artery between the legs, if above, into the neck artery, that it was 90$ effective in first stage, that 10-15 cc's sufficient.

Komori's duty hours were 0800-1600, but was not usually busy in P.M. Maekawa usually talked to him 20-30 minutes—he was very talkative.

On or about 20 May 1945, Maekawa visited Komori at Kaikosha Hospital, and he discussed his friend*s treatment, the neuralgia treatment, then told him that he had been asked by Ishiyama to use the B-29 survivors for experimental operations, that he had then talked to Sato, and they they were going to proceed with it. Sat'o gave permission; Ishiyama had asked Komori to secure the 6-29 survivors. Komori said that Ishiyama had told him that he wanted to perform experimental operations, i.e., an unnecessary operation performed for the purpose of research in medicine or surgery.

Maekawa asked Komori if Horiuchi knew about it. He replied that Hori­uchi should know about it because Sato had told him to go ahead with the experimental operations, because it was a decision of the Army. Maekawa cautioned Komori not to get involved since it was a bad thing. Komori said that he had not gone directly to Horiuchi for permission, had not told him about it. Maekawa said that he should, Komori answered, "Is that so?" "All right."

Statement of Maekawa Cont'd - Komori told Maekawa that he thought Horiuchi knew of plan because Sato said it was a decision of the CG and his staff.

2-3 days later, about 1600, while goihg from medical building to administration building, met Komori, who was going into medical build­ing, asked Maekawa if Horiuchi was in his office, wanted to see him, was not, so Komori said he would see him again, said he was just re­turning from KIU, carrying a small container wrapped in a cloth, and upon being questioned what it was, "at first Komori hesitated in answering, but then said, in a low voice, that it was blood," that it was the blood from the operation he had performed on the American Prisoner. He said that lung, heart, and liver operations were per­formed, that the Prisoners were told that they were going to be treated and were given ether, that for that reason the operations were easy to perform.

Komori told Maekawa that "he was going to do something with it (the blood)? Quite a while before, Komori told Maekawa that human blood could be used to kill bed-bugs, that if a chemical named "Gelan" (a Japanese name) were placed in a saucer and a drop of human blood was placed on the chemical, all the bed bugs would crawl into the saucer and the "gelan" would kill them.

On 16 June 1945, right after Komori's funeral, Maekawa told Tsurumaru what he had heard from Komori.

Komori and Horiuchi were friendly. Komori would frequently go into Horiuchi's office. Komori made the arrangements for Horiuchi's wife's operations. Komori was acting chief of surgery, but because he was formerly the assistant chief of Miyagi Hospital, he was sort of'acting chief of Kaikosha Hospital.

Komori attended the dinner party given by Horiuchi on 19 June.

Komori went to Yoshimura concerning some business about the Kaikosha, but Maekawa doesn't know what it was.

Maekawa believes that Horiuchi and Komori were personal acquaintances. Maekawa believes that Komori had Horiuchi's permission because: (1) Komori told Maekawa he would obtain his permission; (2) Horiuchi and Komori were friendly; (3) when Komori asked for him on way back for operation, believes that he talked to him prior to carrying out the plan for the operation.

Statement of Kanehisa (28 May 1947) Komori was one of two surgical directors of Officers Club Hospital, the other being Tatsuro Kishi, who arrived about March 1945. Kanehisa heard on 20 June that Komori was wounded on the night of 19 June returning home from a party held by Horiuchi.

Statement of Kanehisa Cont'd. Kanehisa knew that some research was being conducted in a search for a bed bug toxin at the Officers Club Hospital, doesn't know whether Komori was working on this.

In about mid May, Kanehisa noticed one day that Komori was not at the Officers Club Hospital. To this Kanehisa paid no attention, but one day having business with him learned from nurse that he was at the University doing research. A few days later one of Surgical Section nurses told Kanehisa that Komori had gone to the University with some staff officers to perform operations. The next day or so Kanehisa noticed something being dried on a desk in the Officers Club Hospital Laboratory, one of the nurses telling him that it was chopped up liver taken from a PW who had been operated on at the University, or she might have said that Komori had brought the liver from the University and was planning to make a stomach medicine out of it. Komori told Kanehisa that he was planning to do this himself.

Kanehisa then changes his story somewhat and states that one of nurses told him that Komori brought liver from the University and Komori told him that he was conducting liver operations on PWs, so it is obvious where the liver had come from. Komori first told Kanehisa he had per­formed a liver operation a few days after Kanehisa found the liver; it was unusual for a human liver to drying in the laboratory.

A short time later, at lunch, Komori said that he performed a liver operation on a PW since the Prisoners were going to be executed any­way and so they had used them for research for the University. The Hospital personnel had conjectured that the staff officers, planning to execute the Prisoners anyway, had ordered Komori to use them for research purposes. It was general knowledge among the hospital workers that Komori, along with some staff officers, had gone to the University and requested that Ishiyama permit them to conduct the operations at the University Hospital. Kanehisa thinks that Komori said this to Kanehisa at one time.

Despite Komori's rank, he was on friendly terms with the staff offi­cers and idea might have been his. Kanehisa opines that the important thing is to find out which staff officers accompanied Komori on his trip to Ishiyama when the operations were performed.

Komori did much unusual research in medicine; he and his brother even worked for a time on a universal cure all medicine. While fact that he brought liver from University seemed odd, not too unusual for Komori.

Care of the PWs was the responsibility of the staff officers and these acts of Komori were either ordered secretly or at least performed in the company of staff officers - Komori said that staff officers had gone with him to watch the operations.

Kanehisa imagines that Komori had already informed the head of the medical section, Horiuchi, since he occasionally went up to talk to him, and they were on rather friendly terms.

Statement of Kanehisa Cont'd. Since Rusumoto had at one time mentioned that Komori was now making stomach medicine, Kanehisa presumed that he was already informed as to Komori's activities.

Komori would occasionally see Yoshimura About surgical and medical matters.

Komori's best friend was probably Shichiro Matake, who was not at the hospital at the times of the operations.

Memo of Jinnaka written 11 June 1947. Rumors - Komori was drying something like human liver, after cutting it, at the Kaikosha Hospital. He was probably intending to make some new medicine. (Jinnaka heard this rumor from Kanehisa)

Statement of Shizuko Ishiyama (Wife of Ishiyama) (2-5 June 1947) Because Komori had been a member of the Ishiyama Clinic, he had brought him the Prisoners.

Statement of Ishisawa (21 May - 2 June 1947) In Feb. 1946, when alone in Ishiyama's office, Ishiyama told Ishisawa that medical officer Komori from WA came and told him that they had some Prisoners that Ishiyama could experiment on for the advancement of medicine, that at the opera­tions they had experimented on blood transfusions, that they had experi­mented with natural ttsea water”, Ringer Solution and Physiological Solu­tion (.0.9) salt solution on the Prisoners.

Statement of Tsurumaru (20 - 25 May 1947) Kanehisa appeared to be a good friend of Komori. Kanehisa worked with Komori, specialized in internal medicines.

Officers working at Kaikoshh Hospital: P.0. Komori - Tsurumaru knew him when he was in 1st (Akaiwa) Surgery as an assistant to one of the profes­sors, probably Akaiwa. At that time, 1933, Tsurumaru was in 2nd Surgery. Komori was in charge of Kaikosha Hospital, which is an army hospital for dependents of Officers. While it is a WA Hospital, Horiuchi would have to go through the WA Chief of Staff to give any orders to Komori; thus, Horiuchi was indirectly Komori*s superior, but he would have to go through channels and not directly. Komori was a medical P.0, of the army and had been away from the University for some years. Tsurumaru understands that he was on call at the University and could be called out there to lecture if called by the University to lecture through the army channel. This was not usual practice; Tsurumaru doesn*t know whether Komori did so lecture; if he did it would probably go through the Chief of Staff to KIU. Tsurumaru conjectures that if he did lecture, it would probably be through Ishiyama, since he knew Komori and had worked with him in the past. The University was short of doctors, knew Komori would be a good man to help out. Komori on occasions came to see Horiuchi. Komori was well known at WAH; his hospital was just a short distance away. When Tsurumaru knew Komori at KIU (1933) he was an Instructor.

Statement of Tsurumaru Cont'd. While 2nd Lt. Kishi, in surgical section, outranked Komori, Komori was superior to him in age and experience, and Kishi would frequently seek his advice.

Lt. Yoshio Ijima was one class ahead of Tsurumaru at 2nd Surgery. Believes that he succeeded Komori on Komoti1 s death; sometimes speaks about Komori. 

Oguma was at a sake party with Komori, Maekawa and Kanehisa when Tsurumaru met him.

Statement of Maekawa (between 20 and _ June 1946, 2nd Statement) Maekawa "has a feeling" that he told Horiuchi, at the time of Komori's funeral, 10-11 July 1947, what Komori told him about the operations on the PWs.

Komori went to Horiuchi's office 2-3 times a week, Komori attended a party with Horiuchi 19 June 1945, at Kiku-ume, near West Park, Fukuoka.

Maekawa changes his statement; now says that it was around 10 May 1945 when he first heard about the operations from Komori, not 20 May.

Statement of Ikeda (23 - 25 June 1947) The doctor who usually came to the headquarters to treat the Prisoners was Komori. Ikeda knows that because he has seen him often; he also came often to see Horiuchi and Yoshlmura.

Komori was under the supervision of Horiuchi; his duties were to examine and treat Officers, EM and their families at Kaikosha Hospital. Ikeda didn't know him until he came to Kaikosha Hospital, had heard of him because he was quite a surgeon.

Komori came to see Horiuchi often during April, May and June. Komori would have had to consult Horiuchi before he Could do more on getting the Priso­ners.

Statement of Honjo (18 June 1947) Honjo knows Komori, who came to the Kokura Army Hospital, as a resident medical officer in June 1945, Honjo being his instructor. After Komori was drafted in army as a P.O. in August 1944, Honjo worked with him at Kokura Hospital. Komori was there until November 1944, then transferred to Beppu. During April Komori treated Honjo's foot every day; after that Honjo met him for a few minutes once every 2-3 days.

Komori was well liked, highly intellectual, had a good reputation as a surgeon, was a very talkative person. Because of Komori's rank, he was not designated to be in charge of the hospital, but he did perform that duty. Komori was friendly with Yoshlmura, especially friendly with Horiu­chi.

Komori was conducting research on neuralgia and infections from wounds (cellulitis-inflamation of cellular tissue, especially that next to the skin) He injected sea water for neuralgia and sulphanilimide for infec­tions.

On 1-2 occasions, Honjo went to Horiuchi's office when Komori was talking