Renowned Japanese mystery writer Seiichi Morimura, who gained fame for his nonfiction trilogy “The Devil’s Gluttony,” revealing shocking human medical experiments carried out by a secret Japanese army unit during World War II, passed away on Monday at the age of 90. His demise was due to pneumonia, as reported by his official website and publisher, Kadokawa.
“The Devil’s Gluttony,” initially published as a newspaper series in 1981, captivated readers and became a national bestseller, shedding light on the heinous atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese Imperial Army Unit 731 in China.
Based in Japanese-controlled Harbin, China, Unit 731 and its affiliated units conducted gruesome research into germ warfare during World War II. Historians and former members of the unit have documented their activities, which involved injecting prisoners of war with diseases like typhus and cholera. Vivisections and freezing prisoners to death in endurance tests were also reportedly performed.
Seiichi Morimura’s writing career began with contributions to magazines while he worked in hotels. His talent as a mystery writer was recognized when he received the prestigious Edogawa Rampo Prize in 1969 and the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1973.
Born in 1933 in Saitama, just north of Tokyo, Morimura experienced the harsh reality of U.S. bombings during the latter stages of World War II, which influenced him to adopt pacifist principles. He authored a book expressing his commitment to defending Japan’s postwar pacifist Constitution and opposing nuclear weapons. In 2015, he participated in protests against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s reinterpretation of the constitution, which allowed for greater military activity.
One of Morimura’s notable works, the 1976 novel “Ningen no Shomei” (“Proof of the Man”), delved into the darker aspects of postwar Japan and was later adapted into a movie. Similarly, his popular novel “Yasei no Shomei” (“Proof of the Wild”), published a year later, explored a conspiracy involving genocide in a remote village.