Chemical weapons abandoned by the Imperial Japanese Army in Japan and China at the end of World War II

Abstract

The Imperial Japanese Army possessed different types of chemical weapons and used them frequently in China during World War II (WWII). At the end of WWII, Japan abandoned all the chemical weapons by dumping them into the sea and burying them underground. It has been 65 years since the end of WWII. During this time, many of the containers holding the weapons have rotted and the chemical agents leaked out causing multiple casualties especially in China. In this review, the brief history of Japanese chemical weapons is discussed along with the variety of chemical weapons the Japanese Army possessed during WWII. Finally, the destruction caused by the leftover chemical weapons, especially in China, is described.

Keywords::

• Abandoned chemical weapons
• japanese poisonous gases