Statements Concerning Komori

Statement of Noda (18 July - 4 Aug 1947) 2nd series - about 1400, Noda was going to the latrine, noticed a Japanese army truck parked at the rear of the anatomy section, saw 2 Japanese soldiers and Komori escort 2 PWs into a room next to the autopsy room. They were Americans.

Noda went to the latrine, then entered autopsy room. Noda walked to the dissecting tables where the Prisoner was being operated on. An incision con­sisting of a straight line over the nipple of the left breast to the 2nd rib, about 20 centimeters in length was held opened with a retractor by Komori. Ishiyama cut out the lower part or lobe of the right lung. The entire right lung was then cut out and removed. Komori helped him.

Komori assisted in operating on 1 Prisoner by checking the bleeding by apply­ing hemostats, helped cut the lung and parts of the heart.

When Noda left after the operation, Ishiyama and Komori were still examining the area, the incision was still open, the patient alive.

Later that day Makino ordered Noda to sweep the autopsy room floor. Present were Makino, Goshima, Tanaka, Komori, Torisu and Hirao on his return.

Statement of Shinno (21 July 1947) Present at (liver) dinner; Komori, Matake, Kanehisa, Kishi, Ito, Oda, Nakamura, Shinno. Also the following nurses were present: Shiokawa, Nakae, Takechi, Nishimura, Ooba, Tatera, Tanaka, Ikeda, Tone, Takahashi.

Statement of Hirao (13 July 1946) 1st series - Komori told Hjrao that the Americans were not PWs and were sentenced to death by military trial and that Komori had an order from the army that these men were to be used as experiments.

1st Prisoner. Komori, Ishiyama, Mori, Torisu, Hirao scrubbed. Ishiyama and Komori were the leading participants, Torisu, Mori and Hirao assisted.

Lung operation. Hirao believes the incision was reopened after death by Komori.

Statement of Yakumaru (18 Aug 1947) Sometime in April 1945 Komori saw Sato at WAH in his office,. Akita, with his desk next to Sato, Yakumaru also there, heard Komori ask Sato to release some Prisoners so that he could take them to KIU for experimental operations, (see later repudiation in this statement). Sato told Komori that he would see what he could do. Komori told Yakumaru at the operations that they were experimental.

20 May operation - Ishiyama and Komori operated on the 1st PW. Ishiyama cut half of the liver out, removed it, and it was placed on a nearby stand. Komori then began tying the liver veins so that the Prisoner would not bleed too much. Either Torisu or Senba helped Komori tie the liver veins. At the start of the operation, Komori told Yakumaru that it was a liver operation and dangerous, that they were operating on the PW to see how long a person would live with the liver removed.

Statement of Yakumaru Cont'd. ....... At this time there were in the autopsy room: Ishiyama, Komori, Sato, Yakumaru, Senba, Torisu, Mori, Hirao, Hirako and a few others.

2nd Prisoner - Ishiyama and Komori performed a lung operation. One doctor was giving anesthesia. The incision was made by either Komori or Ishiyama on the right side of the Prisoner's chest about 20 centimeters vertically over the right breast, Ishiyama and Komori then cut the right lung from the Prisoner's chest and placed it in a glass container on a stand.

Komori cut the Prisoner's ribs so Ishiyama could operate on the Prisoner's lung, held open the incision.

Change in story: Akita.told Yakumaru that Komori came to see Sato very fre­quently, but did not tell him what they talked about (i.e., that Komori came to see Sato to get Prisoners to be used for experimental operations at KIU)

In the early Part of September 1945, in the staff room at WAH, Sato stated that if Yakumaru were questioned about the operations of PWs at KIU he was to state that Komori took the PWs on his own initiative and secretly operated on them - he decided to blame Komori because he w as‘dead.

Statement of Hirao (28 Aug - ? Sept 1947) On about 25 May, after the 3rd series, there was a party held in the evening, of those who had taken part, Komori there told Hirao, Torisu, Mori, and perhaps Sato, that the crew mem­bers operated on had participated in indiscriminate bombing, that some of them had bombed the Imperial Palace. Komori may have heard that Torisu and Hirao had asked Ishiyama at the time of the 2nd' operation to stop these fatal opera­tions on PWs. Komori may have told them the status of the Prisoners to put them at ease; he also said at that time that according to International Law, those who participate in indiscriminate bombing would be executed.

1st series - Komori and Sato were on the truck (which brought the PWs to KIU) The doctors scrubbed; Komori said he had given anesthetic injection to the fly­ers, just before leaving, but it didn't seem to have effect yet. One flyer was brought in on a stretcher; his shirt on the right side,near the shoulder was covered with blood. Komori said the wound had been received by the flyer when he was coming down,

Ishiyama stood to the. right of the flyer's chest; Miki handed him instruments. Across was Komori, Hirao to his left, Mori to Hirao's left. Torisu on the left of Ishiyama, Senba, Tashiro and Nogawa near the Prisoner's head, one of them taking his pulse.

The entire right lung was taken out; it was hardened a little, but this may not have been because of the wound. Ishiyama and Komori then sutured the pleura, the ribs were replaced, and the flesh and skin sutured.

At first Hirao thought it was intended that the flyer should live, but later when all the flyers died, he realized that there was no such intention, was aware of this when Komori later told him that he had given the flyers an over­dose of anesthetic.

Statement of Hirao Cont'd..... 2nd PW - lung operation - Hirao took the top third portion of the right lung (which Ishiyama had removed) to a wash basin in the far side of the room and washed it* The washing took 10 minutes. Hirao returned to find the flyer dead, the incision not sutured, and a great deal of blood collected in the cavity which Komori took out, using a small emesis basis and putting the blood in a metal tray, then wrapping up the tray in an operating sheet preparing to take it with him; he said he was going to dry and powder the blood and mix poison with it to make a poison for bed bugs.

On Hirao asking him, Komori said that the injection of anesthesia had been more than normal, that he had given the flyers prior to beinging them to the Univer­sity, 1.55 or 2.2 ccs of Narcopon Scopolamin all at one time, the normal dose being 0.7 or 0.S ccs in doses of 0,4 and 0.3 or 0.4 ccs, 30 minutes apart. Hirao said that this was very dangerous, but Komori said to let him do the worrying.

Hirao was helping to assemble surgical instruments and Hirao then left with Torisu, although the dissectors and Komori and perhaps Sato were still there.

While Ishiyama and Komori were tying off the blood vessels in the 1st opera­tion, Ishiyama asked Senba, who was taking the pulse, about the pulse rate, and he replied that it was weak, getting worse; and then told him to inject sea water solution into the vein of the flyer, which Senba did, injecting about 200 ccs of the sea water solution from an irrigator, Ishiyama then told Sato what was done.

2nd series - Ishiyama scrubbed, told Mori to prepare to perform a stomach operation on the Prisoner in the right side of the room, (there were 2 PWs) Mori to assist. Komori then gave a little ether to Mori's Prisoner, then washed his hand.

Mori made an incision~from the base of the breast bone to the navel, retracted the incision, began cutting the fatty tissue connecting the lower part of the stomach to the large-intestine. Komori then took Mori's place and Hirao be­came Komori's assistant, Mori the 2nd assistant. Komori cut completely the fatty tissue from the intestines below and from above the stomach, tied off and cut the large left artery to the stomach,’clamped off the duodenum from the stomach, cut them apart, clamped off the esophagus from the stomach, cut them apart, then took our entire stomach, the jejunum then being connected to the esophagus.

Komori told them he was demonstrating the Dr. Miyagi system of stomach resec­tion. A loop was formed in the jejunum pipe below where it was connected to the esophagus and this loop was to be stitched together. Just as he was about to do this, the large left artery to the stomach that had been tied off earlier started to leak blood badly. Komori stopped this bleeding with a clamp, but before he did this the Prisoner lost a great deal of blood, became extremely weak. Ishiyama came over and performed heart operation.

While Ishiyama was working with the heart, Hirako came into the room, looked on for about 4-5 minutes, and just as he left, Torisu entered and was told by Ishiyama to scrub. Ishiyama and Komori then went to the other Prisoner, and

Statement of Hirao Cont'd..... Mori, with Hirao assisting, practiced making the incision in the heart and stitching it up.

While Hirao, Komori, Mori were working on the other Prisoner's stomach, Hirao heard someone from the other table state that the Prisoner would likely die from an overdose of anesthetic, 30-40 minutes were spent trying to keep him from dying on this account. After the liver operation, Komori dipped out the blood that had collected in the abdomen, put it in a tray, in which he also, placed the left side of the removed liver.

Komori put the left side of the liver and a lot of blood from the Prisoner in a tray, wrapped it up in preparation to take it with him.

3rd series - Komori came in with the Prisoner, washed his hands. Brain opera­tion. The skin (after head had been shaved) was fbided backwards down the neck and 6 holes were drilled by Komori around the area of the incision. Ishi­yama passed a Gigli wire saw between the holes drilled by Komori and Komori sawed the bone. The bone was bent back in the same manner as the skin.

Ishiyama proceeded with brain operation, appeared to have given up the idea of reaching the substantia nigra (after working ashile) and he pushed the cerebellum to the' right, looking for the trigeminus nerve. Hirako left the room. At that time Ishiyama and Komori were attempting to stop the blood from flowing under the cerebellum. 

The operation finished shortly after 1600. They collected the instruments returned to the clinic except Komori, who was changing clothes. At the clinic Ishiyama told Hirao that Sato had invited the group over to the Officer's Club for supper, Torisu, Mori and Hirao then left for the Officers' Club, where they were led to the fartherest Japanese room to the rear of the club where there were Sato and Komori. Komori told them not to worry about these operations because the flyers had all participated in indiscriminate bombing and were to be executed anyway, that they had participated in bombing the Emperor's Palace. He further said, on being questioned, that he had told those whom he was going to inject that they were going to be taken to a camp where there were many Prisoners so they would have to receive injections against such things as cholera, and he would then inject them with anesthetic. He said these flyers would tell much and talk much sooner than the former ones, but none knew more than their jobs, 30 minutes later - about 1800, Ishiyama arrived.

After the meal they all left except Komori and Sato. The general topic of conversation was air defense. Operations not discussed because of maids present.

4th series - On .27 May, at the Fukuoka Surgical Assembly, Komori said that undiluted sea water could also be used to stop pain when injected into the artery.

After preparations were made for operations, Komori entered, talk’ed with Ishiyama, said something about 3 persons, then left. All the doctors, in­cluding Komori, then scrubbed.

Statement of Hirao Cont'd........ Ishiyama then started leg artery opera­tion. Komori released the clamp (on artery) and 100 cc of blood was allowed to drain into the graduate. Ishiyama instructed Hirao to continue in the same way he had been doing, Senba preparing to inject the sea water substitute. Ishiyama and Komori left this operation to go to the other operation leaving Hirao and Senba to continue.

2nd PW - Those who participated in this latter operation were Ishiyama, Komori, Morimoto, arid Nurse Miki.

Statement of Senba (2-10 Sept 1947) 1st series - At 1500, about 16 May, Hirao told Senba that the following PM Komori would bring an American PCS to the autopsy section for an operation, to prepare to give this person a sea water injection as it might be necessary, that these were Ishiyama's orders.

On 17 May about 1600, a truck arrived with 2 Prisoners lying in the back of the truck, talking to each other in English with about 4 Japanese soldiers. A staff car then arrived with Sato, Komori and one other officer.

The doctors went in: Ishiyama was scrubbing, putting on his gown, told Komori to take the 2 Prisoners to the dressing room and administer ether, whichwas done, with Senba, Komori, Hirao, Tashiro, Nogawa, Suyama and 2 guards going with them.

Preparations were made for operations - Ishiyama then told Sato and Komori that sea water could be used as a blood substitute. Komori said he had been using sea water as a substitute for Ringer*s solution for some time, that 30 ccs of sea water injected directly into the artery was useful in treating ailments.

1st series - Ishiyama then said they would perform a lung operation, stood on the Prisoner's right, Hirao to Ishiyama's left, Komori at the head of the Prisoner, Torisu to the Prisoner's left, Senba to Torisu's left and rear. Komori administered ether.

After operation - Komori asked Ishiyama to take some blood' from the Prisoner to use for some medicine.

2nd Prisoner - Komori was at the head of the table administering ether. Lung operation. After Ishiyama placed the lung in the container with the other, Komori again asked for the Prisoner’s blood, and Ishiyama cut the main pulmonary artery and the blood spurted into the chest, was allowed to continue until the Prisoner died 29 Minutes later. During the second operation, Komori gave ether.

2nd series - 2 Prisoners arrived. Komori came in, said that 2 ccs of Narcopon Scopolamine had been given to them.

Komori said he wanted to perform a stomach operation on the 1st Prisoner. Komori cut the membrane and blood vessels leading to the stomach. Mori was tying blood vessels; Hirao was retracting the incision; Komori was tying the artery that led to the stomach, but ruptured the artery by pulling too hard on it. Komori and Mori tried to stop the bleeding by using forceps, but were

Statement of Senba Cont'd..... unsuccessful. Then Ishiyama, who was watch­ing the operation, said he would take over, took forceps and stopped bleeding, told Senba to inject sea water, Senba injecting 200 ccs into the arm, took blood pressure and pulse, found them subnormal. Komori then continued the operation, resected the entire stomach by cutting the stomach from the cardia and pylorus. A hole was made in the jejunum, the esophagus and pylorus sutured.

After this operation, Komori asked Ishiyama for the blood of the Prisoner and Ishiyama took about 1500 ccs of blood. The Prisoner was dead.

Everyone moved to the second table. Komori and Torisu washed the Prisoner's abdomen with iodine and alcohol, a sterile sheet was placed over him, Ishiyama made an incision of 20 centimeters below the right ribs in the hypochondrium area. Komori, as 1st assistant, tied the blood vessels. Torisu retracted the incision from the right and Komori from the left. Komori again asked Ishiyama for the Prisoner's blood, after Ishiyama had removed lower right portion of the liver.

3rd series - brain operation - Hirao and Komori cut the hair on the back of the Prisoner's head, Senba faintly recalls Komori saying something about giving him (Prisoner) Narcopon Scapolamin, but he didn’t seem drugged when he entered, although he did not resist.

Ishiyama made a circular incision in the occipital area at the base of the brain, while Komori held his head steady, wiped blood, tied off the blood vessels.

4th aeries - On 3 June at 1300, Senba took 2000 ccs of sea water to the autopsy room. Hirao, Suyama, Manabe and Tsutsui were already there, Komori, Morimoto, and Ishiyama came in 10 minutes later, then, 15 minutes later, 3 guards brought in 2 Prisoners, blindfolded, handcuffed, staggering as they walked.

Komori said he had already injected 2 ccs of Narcopon Scopolamin into the Prisoners.

Senba and Hirao performed.leg artery operation. Komori and Morimoto went to the 2nd table. Ishiyama was on the Prisoner's right near the head, Komori across from him, Morimoto to the left of Komori, Miki on the right of Ishiyama near the instrument table. The operation was almost finished; Senba believes it was a lung operation. After Senba arrived, Miki, Komori and Morimoto moved the table into the corner; it seemed the Prisoner was dead.

A 3rd prisoner was brought in. Nogawa stood at the Prisoner's head, Hirao to the Prisoner's right, Komori to the left, Ishiyama stood on the right of Hirao, Miki on his right, between Ishiyama and the instrument table.

Ishiyama made an incision as in the previous liver operation. Komori tied the blood vessels, Hirao wiped the blood, Morimoto retracted the incision, assisted ’ in wiping blood. Ishiyama resected part of the liver.

Komori again told Ishiyama he wanted the blood and Ishiyama cut one of the , abdominal arteries and scooped out all the blood and put it in a flask, the Prisoner by this time dead.

Statement of Hirao Cont'd..... Komori took both livers and gall bladders with him, saying that he was going to make a medicine. He said he was going to make a medicine out of the blood.

Statement of Hirako (26 Aug - 4 Sept 1947) The doctors who performed the operations were: Ishiyama, Komori, Mori, Hirao, Torisu, surgeons from Ishi­yama Surgery and specialists.

1st series - When Hirako went to Dissection Room, after hearing that operations were being performed, Komori was there.

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

2nd series - Ishiyama, probably Komori, Mori, Hirao, and army officers were present.

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

Statement of Mori (3 - ? Sept 1947) 1st series - After setting up the operat­ing table and preparing the room, Mori went out the rear entrance of the build­ing and stood waiting for the Prisoners to arrive. An army truck pulled up, containing Komori, a staff officer, 4-5 guards, and 2 PWs, who were sitting in the back of the truck, blindfolded, handcuffed.

Mori overheard Komori tell Ishiyama that he had given the Prisoners a narcotic before bringing them to the University.

Mori, Komori, 2-3 assistant doctors went back (to dressing room where PWs were) Mori gave the Prisoner the injection of 0.3 ccs of Narcopon Scopolamin that Ishiyama had ordered, Mori placed him on a stretcher and brought him in.

Komori and Hirao were across from Ishiyama, on the Prisoner's left. Lung opera­tion.

After the first operation, while the doctors were washing, Komori asked Mori to have one of the nurses wash the 1st Prisoner's clothing, said he would either come after the clothes or send someone. After the operations, Mori asked Suyama to wash them for Komori, but she said, "no", so Mori took the clothes of this aviator and put Haem in a drawer in his room, where they re­mained until he returned from Kagoshima in July, at which time he had them sent to the hospital at Kagoshima where they were destroyed during an Air raid. Before Mori left the University, he told Komori that the clothes were in a drawer in his room, not washed, that he could get them.

2nd PW - Ishiyama, Komori, Torisu, Hirao, Senba and Mori participated in this operation. Lung. Hirao was in a position to use retractors and to swab the blood, Komori in position to retract, swab, do ligatures and use the Kocher, Torisu to do ligatures, retract, swab, and use the Kocher, Ishiyama to do the surgery.

Statement of Mori Cont'd ....... 2nd series - Ishiyama ordered Hirao and Mori to scrub, told Mori to prepare for an abdominal operation. Komori was adminis­tering ether to the first patient.

Mori began the abdominal operation, Komori then came over, prepared to con­tinue the operation. The pylorus was clamped with 2 forceps, about 3/4" apart by Komori, who then cut down the pylorus between the 2 forceps. The lower end next to the duodenum was sutured and the stomach was turned over and the small omentum was separated. The cardia was clamped with 2 forceps about 3/4" apart and Komori cut between the forceps. The stomach was then removed; nothing was wrong with it. Before cutting between the forceps at the cardia and the pylorus, ligatures had been applied to the arteries and veins.

After the stomach was removed, Komori took hold of the jejunum about 20" below the end of the duodenojejunal flexture and lifted it up to the cardia. An incision was made in the wall of the jejunum, and the jejunum was sutured to the cardia. Komori then examined the suture to see if it were OK. Ishiyama then came over and performed a heart massage. He then made an incision in the heart and sutured it.

The 2nd operation was a liver operation, with Ishiyama, Komcri and Torisu doing the operation.

3rd series - A staff car drove up with Sato, Komori, 1 Prisoner, and 2 guards. Brain operation. Ishiyama was the 1st surgeon, Komori 1st assistant, Torisu 2nd assistant, Hirao 3rd assistant, Mori 4th assistant. After skin had been laid back, Komori drilled 4 holes in the skull, 1 /2" apart, and Ishiyama sawed through the skull with a gigli thread, lifted out a skull section, etc....

After the 3rd day of operations, while Mori was still in the autopsy room, Ishiyama told him "There will be a party tonight at the Ippotei, the military restaurant, after we are finished here.” Mori cleaned up, went to the res­taurant with Hirao and Torisu about 1730. Sato and Komori were there; Ishi­yama came in about an hour later.

Mori asked Komori why these Prisoners had been used for such kind of operations he replied "These fliers have bombed the cities indiscriminately and, according to international law, they were court martialled and sentenced to death - so they would die anyway. Leave this matter to the army and don't worry about it."

Mori now recalls that on the day of the 1st operation Ishiyama-was annoyed at the delay in the anesthesia of the 1st patient while he was still in the dressing room, so Komori brought along ether and after Mori gave the 2nd in­jection of narcopon scopolamin he administered ether to this patient, still had the mask on when he was carried into the autopsy room.

Statement of Torisu (29 Aug - 5 Sept 1947) Komori before induction, experi­mented on the fluroscopic examination of the gall bladder and was conducting research in anesthesia. Torisu never experimented on live humane during his own research, but Ishiyama, Mori, Komori, Morimoto, Senba, Hirao and Torisu used live humans in their experiments.

Statement of Torisu Cont'd....... 1st series - Present: Ishiyama, Mori, Hirao, Senba, Tsutsui, Komori, Sate, and either Miki or Manabe.

The operating area w a s .disinfected with iodine and alcohol by Komori, Torisu, Hirao and possibly Mori. Ishiyama made the incision, cut off about 10 emms of either the 3rd or 4th rib, made an incision on the-pleural cavity, and he and Komori then applied hemostats to the pulmonary artery and vein, and Ishiyama then cut the bronchial tubes, removed the entire right lung,

Torisu stood to the left of Komori and opposite Ishiyama. Komori was the 1st assistant, assisted Ishiyama in applying the hemostats to the blood vessels, in retracting the incision, and helped remove the lung, placing it in a con­tainer on a nearby stand.

Komori then asked Ishiyama to operate on a 2nd Prisoner, who was brought in by 2-3 Japanese soldiers on a stretcher, placed on a dissecting table at the extreme right corner of the autopsy room. Ishiyama, Komori, Hirao, Torisu and Tsutsui scrubbed. Komori, Hirao and Torisu began sterilizing the area where the operation was to be performed by merely wiping the chest with iodine.

Torisu's opinion is that Ishiyama performed the lung operation to show Komori the art of operating on a lung, that it was of no value to the advancement of medical science. After the operation, Komori told Hirao that Komori had injected about 1.5 to 2.0 ampoules of narcopon scopolamin. In Torisu's opinion, that was a little too much, but not the cause of death. Komori told Torisu that Hirako’s section would take care of the bodies. Still present when Torisu left: Ishiyama, Hirao, Komori, Senba, Tsutsui, Hirako, Tanaka, Sato, Sha, either Miki or Manabe, and 2-3 other doctors.

2nd series - When Torisu asked Ishiyama to persuade the army not to bring any more PWs to KIU, Ishiyama became rather angry, stated he would do as he pleased, that there was no choice for Hirao and Torisu except to act under his direction, that Komori had telephoned him and said that the PWs were already enroute to the University.

When Torisu went to the autopsy room, Komori, Ishiyama, Senba, Hirako and perhaps either Suyama or Miki were watching the operation, Mori had been operating on one PW, with Hirao as his assistant. This was a heart and stomach operation.

Torisu then scrubbed, went1to the 2nd table, and Komori and Torisu sterilized the abdomen of the PW. Komori said a liver operati6n would be performed. Komori administered an injection, making the Prisoner unconscious.

In Feb. 1946 Sato called on Ishiyama, who was not in his office, asked Torisu to tell him that if the Allied Forces discovered the operations to state that Komori had operated on the PWs without authorization, and Torisu told Ishiyama, who said "That is not good." Ishiyama stated he would take to Sato at WAH.

Statement of Morimoto (ATIS translation) In early June Hirao told Morimoto that he must help at an operation that afternoon since short of help. Komori brought the PW, had him lie down in'the anteroom. This was to be liver opera­ tion.

Statement of Morimoto Cont'd...... After this operation another PW was brought in. Lung operation. 1st lung operation that Morimoto ever saw. Ishiyama told Komori during the operation that Miyashiro, his intimate friend who died of cancer of the lung, could have been saved if he were alive today.

Statement of Tsutsui (27 Aug - ? 1947) Komori had been a doctor in Ishiyama Clinic.

1st series - Komori, a staff officer, another officer, Mori, Torisu, Hirao, and possibly Morimoto and Senba came in. Ishiyama, Komori, Miki, and either Hirao or Mori washed their hands, scrubbed with soap 15 minutes, sterilized hands and arms with a solution, put on sterile masks and white robes.

Komori said it wasn’t necessary to give him (PW‘) an opiate injection because he had given them injections before he brought them to the University. He told Ishiyama he had used Pantopon Scopolamin,

The instrument table was at the right of the operating table and Miki was standing at the Prisoner’s head in the angle formed by the table. Ishiyama was to the left of Miki on the Prisoner’s left side, Komori was across the table from Ishiyama with either Hirao or Mori on his left. Ishiyama retracted one side of the incision, Komori or the other doctor,'the' other side.

Ribs were retracted. Ishiyama, Komori and the other doctor (either Mori or Hirao) were applying gauze to stop bleeding. Part of the lung was resected.

When Ishiyama was washing his hands, he was asking Komori about the condition of the patient, (at begining of operation)

Ishiyama and Komori pointed out the Various organs in the chest cavity to Sato, explained the instruments.

2nd PW - Tsutsui recalls Ishiyama and Komori telling Sato that the lung showed signs of pleural scars.

2nd Series - Shortly after Tsutsui and Miki took the instruments to Autopsy Section, Ishiyama, Komnri, and other doctors entered.

Around the operating table were Ishiyama, Komori, Miki, Suyama, Tsutsui, Mori, Torisu, and Tsutsui believes, Hirao.

Ishiyama began this operation (stomach ?) then Komori took over. 15-20 minutes later one of the doctors came over to the 2nd table, told Ishiyama the Prisoner was dying, Ishiyama said, "Oh, is that so,n returned to the 1st table, stayed 5 minutes, returned, the Prisoner still alive. 5 minutes later Tsutsui went to the 1st table to get something, and the Prisoner was drawing his last breath, the Prisoner dying before Komori finished sewing him up.

3rd series - brain operation - Ishiyama and Komori performed the operation, either Hirao and Mori assisted. Ishiyama stood at one side of the Prisoner s head at the side of the table, Komori opposite. 40-50 minutes after the opera­tion started the patient died. Ishiyama, Komori, and either Hirao or Mori sewed him up.

Statement of Tsutsui Cont'd ...... 4th series - Ishiyama, Hirao, Mori, Senba, Komori, Sato, Tsutsui and Miki or Suyama were there. - artery operation.

Ishiyama or Komori made an incision about 2" long in the Prisoner’s right leg in the groin area, the incision made in the area of the large artery going down the leg.

Statement of Sato (2 July 1946) About the end of April 1946 Ishiyama called Sato over to the hospital to discuss the experiments, and he, Torisu and Hirako told him that in the event that this matter was brought out into the open they had decided to blame Komori by saying that Komori had asked to use an operating room and had conducted the experiments by himself.

Statement of Sato (17 July 1946) Komori in May 1945 told Sato that he thought the American PWs at WAH looked undernourished and sickly, that he would like to take them to KIU Hospital, to which Sato agreed.

After the 1st operation Komori told Sato that he had the permission of Horiuchi to use the PWs in medical experiments, that "the rest of the army doctors did not have enough guts to go along with him on these experimental operations."

Sato did not order Ishiyama to perform these operations; if there was such an order, it must have been given by Komori. When Komori told Sato he had the permission of Yokoyama to use these men for experimental operations, Sato went to Yokoyama who confirmed it.

Komori went to the prison, examined the P W s , submitted a list to Sato. Sato told either Komori or Aihara to submit this list to the General Affairs Section, and they handled the release of Prisoners, which was done.

About 4-5 days before the 1st operation, accompanied by Komori, the Prisoners were stripped to the waist so Komori could show Sato how undernourished they were, also commented on the injuries of the various PWs. Except for very minor injuries or wounds Komori said that none of them were ill.

Statement of Sato (18 July 1946) About 2000 last night (17 July 1946) Ishi­yama called from the next cell to Sato, for the 1st time since in jail, told Sato he did not take the initiative in performing the operations, but was ordered to perform them by Komori, that Komori told him that he had the per­mission of the CG (Yokoyama).

On returning to his cell at 1900, Sato called Aihara and told him that he, Sato, would take full responsibility for the army1s part, that Ishiyama and his staff had made a sworn statement that they were ordered by the army, that Komori told Sato that he had the permission of Yokoyama, that Sato then went to Yokoyama who said that he had given Komori permission through Horiuchi, warned Aihara that he was deceiving the Allied Forces.

Statement of Sato (ATIS translation) Sato first heard of KIU incident from Komori, but Ishiyama also told him about it after the 1st operation. Thinking it would be bad for the army to release the men, Sato went to Yokoyama to veri­fy this permission to Komori.

Statement of Sato Cont'd..... When Komori came to Sato the day after the 1st operation, Sato said that they had better reconsider this matter of giving Prisoners to KIU if they were to die, to which Komori stated that he would take the responsibility so it would not cause Sato any more trouble, so Sato said to report the matter to Yokoyama, and he said he would.

Statement of Aihara (18 July 1946) Aihara believes Komori picked the Prisoners. Evidently Komori had previously talked to Goiyama, stating that he, Komori, had Sato's permission to take the Prisoners to the University.

The 1st time 1-2 Prisoners were taken to the University; Sato and Komori also went.

Sato told Aihara that there was going to be a PW operation at the University, 2nd time, and asked him to go. Aihara went by street car; there were 6-7 people there, including Ishiyama, Hirako, Sato and Komori. Yakumaru might have been there.

The operation was on the back of the head; Aihara left before it was completed, but Komori later told him that the PW died.

Statement of Fukushima (18-25 Aug 1947) As to the University case, Sato told Fukushima that Komori had come and talked to him about it, that Yakumaru had gone with him to the University once.

Statement of Kusumoto ( In about the last week of April 1945 Goiyama reported to Kusumoto that about 8 Prisoners, captured flyers, had been imprisoned at WAH, that one was wounded in the chest or shoulder and that Komori had gone in the truck to Hakata Station, where the Prisoners were to be picked up, to. treat the Prisoner with about 3 Kempei Tai. Some time after mid May Goiyama told Kusumoto that Komori, acting on Sato's orders, had injected ether to a flyer and had sent him to the University the day before.

2-3 days later Sato came to the adjutant section, said laughingly that a very good medicine appeared to have been made at the Officers Club Hospital. 2-3 days later Komori told Kusumoto that he was making a medicine which was very effective against bed bugs and one that was very good for humans, that he would like to try the bed bug medicine in the headquarters soldiers barracks, that the medicine he was making for humans was one obtained from the liver of a captured flyer during experimental operations at KIU, that he used blood taken from a captured flyer to make the bed bug toxin, that the liver he had intended to use to make a medicine for humans had become rotten and he was unable to use it. Kusumoto asked him why he did such a thing; he laughed and left.

When Goiyama told Kusumoto that Komori had injected ether in the flyers and taken them to the University, Kusumoto realized they would not return.

Kusumoto didn’t ask Komori in detail about the operations. Kusumoto didn’t talk to Jin about this, believes Komori reported this to him because of Jin's responsibility regarding the captured flyers.