Statements Concerning Komori

Statement of Aihara (ATIS translation) Aihara saw Sato and Komori leave head­ quarters in an auto with the Prisoners (for KIU). Thus 7-8 Prisoners were sent on 4 occasions to the University and Aihara conveyed these orders to the control section as on the 1st occasion. However, Aihara believes there was one occasion when Komori initiated the preparations, based on Sato's intentions.

Aihara was introduced to Komori by Sato, never discussed "this incident" with him.

It did seem that Sato, Komori and the professors in charge of KIU were deep in the plot. Sato and Komori were very intimate friends.

Aihara heard that Sato, Komori and the professors in charge had dined together during the University incident.

Statement of Hirao (14 July 1946) Brain operation - Ishiyama was in charge, did the cutting, Komori ras his chief assistant, used the u.giglin saw. 3 opera­tions that day - about 20 May. There were 2 operations being performed at the same time.

Hirao assisted in the one with Komori and Mori and 2 other young doctors. At the other operating table were Ishiyama, Tanaka, and 2 young doctors.

In the operation in which Hirao participated, Komori was chief surgeon, Mori and Hirao assistants.

The 3rd operation was performed about 1500 by Ishiyama, Komori, and, Hirao believes, Tanaka.

Statement of Ishiyama (13 July 1946, not executed) Komori telephoned Ishiyama about 10 May from WAH that he had a B-29 flyer who appeared to be bleeding from the lung, thought the Prisoner should be operated on immediately and asked if he could bring him to the University; Ishiyama told Komori Japanese patients were very bitter toward America, but said he would go to WAH.

Komori said he didn’t have the necessary surgical equipment, hung up. Ishiyama then telephoned Hirako, made preparations for operations, notified other doctors, and awaited Komori,

1st series - lung operation by Ishiyama. Komori then stated there was another PW there whom he thought had a bullet in his lung, that since he couldn't per­form a lung operation in the army hospital he would like Ishiyama to operate and show him how to do it. Komori was the Chief Surgeon, Hirao and Ishiyama were his assistants. Komori made an incision as in the 1st operation, spread it with a Haken, placed his hand on the lung, couldn't find any bullets or wounds; Ishiyama tried, was unsuccessful. Komori started to sew the incision but the incision was big, the pulse became weak, the patient’s breat rapid, Torisu gave seawater injection, he thinks, but about 30 minutes later he died. Komori did close the incision.

At the 1st operation - Komori handled the ligatur which prevents the blood from bleeding unnecessarily, handled the Pincett when Ishiyama made the incision,

Statement of Ishiyama Cont'd......... stood across from Ishiyama; Hirako was an observer.

At 10 May Komori brought 3 Prisoners, said the other 2 were to be operated on to which Ishiyama agreed. Torisu, Hirao and Tsutsui were there when he met Komori, who stated that he had permission from Yokoyama and the man in charge of PWs, Ishiyama asked Sato about this when he entered. He said it would be alright.

Komori was a medical student of Ishiyama around 1928, graduated and served under Ishiyama until 1935, then worked at Wakamatsu Isolation Hospital, then Fukuoka Miyagi Hospital, entered army, stationed at Beppu, transferred to the Fukuoka Hospital in 1944.

In June 1945 he was wounded in the leg in an airraid; Ishiyama amputated the leg, but he subsequently died. At his death bed Komori stated that it was orders from higher officials that made him bring the PWs to the University to be operated on and therefore called Ishiyama by phone to notify him that he was bringing them to the University. "He then recalled that he had refused me." He stated that he had injected some seawater as Ishiyama suggested but the patient turned to the worse so he brought the PW to the anatomy Ward., said he was sorry he caused Ishiyama so much trouble. Present at Komori's death were Sato, Yakumaru, Torisu, Tsutsui, and another soldier.

Ishiyama knew the following WA Medical Officers: Horiuchi, Komori, Tsurumaru and Morotani.

Shortly after the operations, in June, ”We were calledn to the WA Club by Sato and Komori. They were told not to mention the operations.

Ishiyama was not ordered, but asked to perform the operations. Ishiyama re­fused Komori's request to operate since he was only a PO, but since Sato v/as at the operation Ishiyama figured he represented the army.

Statement of Ishiyama (17 July 1946, not executed) On 16-17 June Komori telephoned Ishiyama as he usually did before he brought a PW to the University and stated that he had 2 patients whose condition was very bad. As on 9 or 10 May Ishiyama suggested that the attitude of the patients and personnel at the University was very hostile, suggested that the sea water extraction should be injected, and Ishiyama refused. At 1500 Komori telephone again, stated the patients' condition was very poor, so he was bringing the patients to the University. When Ishiyama arrived at the autopsy room, Komori and the patients were there, on the verge of death, heavily drugged, probably with morphine and scopolamin, an overdose, before arriving. Komori called about 1300, at which time he probably gave him a shot of the drug; then when he called back at 1500, another dose was given, according to what Komori told him in the autop­sy room.

Another PW was drugged the same way, was lying at the opposite end of the room; Komori gave him the same treatment. Komori stated he gave a dosage 2 times greater than required to these PWs. They then applied artificial respiration for about 20 minutes.

Statement of Ishiyama Cont'd ....... Ishiyama performed heart massage. Komori said he brought the patient to operate on his lung, so he cut the parasteternal line about 15 ccs, removed a rib, examined the lung, and Ishi­yama then put his left hand in between the incision and lifted the lung up a little, found it to be normal.

Komori then massaged the heart and took out the liver, examined the stomach and spleen, then replaced the liver and sewed the incision at the stomach and the breast. Ishiyama assisted Komori on this autopsy, it ending about I830.

Ishiyama heard from Komori that he dissected the other body about 40 minutes after he left.

Ishiyama then states that instead of 2 PWs being operated on about the 10th of May there were 3, the 3rd a brain operation. A fractured bone was pressing the brain; Komori wanted the bone back to normal to relieve the pressure. Komori said it had been fractured 24 hours before.

At the brain operation Komori and Hirao assisted.

Komori wiped the blood, held the haken, which spread the incision.

After the first two PWs died, a corporal brought in the 3rd, and he was treated exactly as the 1st - an incision was made in the stomach and the patient was given a heart massage; Komori and Ishiyama applied artificial respiration ... on the patient for about 30 minutes, but he died after being given the heart massage for 5-10 minutes. One of the patients had stomach ulcers, according to Komori, who therefore examined the stomach and sewed the incision.

Statement of Matake (11-19 June 1947) Komori was a good business acquaintance; if the operation took place while Matake was there he would have heard about it.

Staff of OC Hospital:

..........

Shiraku Komori - Chief. Surgical Doctor.

In Matake's opinion, the operations must have taken place between 5 May 1945 (the day Matake transferred) and 9 July 1945 (the day Komori died). Matake also heard rumors that Komori was the one who introduced the PWs to the Univer­sity.

Statement of Sato (17 July 1946) In May 1945 Komori told Sato he thought the American PWs at WAH looked undernourished and sickly, that he would like to take them to KIU; Sato said that would be alright. Sato recalls that after the 1st operation Komori told him 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".

Statement of Oda (16 July 1947) (Liver dinner) Komori said it was human (liver) before everyone started to eat, that it was of a PW. Komori, Kanehisa, Shinno, Shiokawa, Miyamoto, Sasaki, Momota, Matake, Ito and an unknown sgt, maj. were present, all ate the human liver.