Japanese actor Yasuyuki Hirata who portrays the commander of Unit 731 Shiro Ishii in film Evil Unbound Photo: Courtesy of Yasuyuki Hirata

The global premiere of Evil Unbound themed on Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit created during World War II, has ignited a wide attention and discussion globally, with the film's box office revenue, including pre-sales, surpassing 1.48 billion yuan ($207 million) as of Monday morning, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan. 

Among the cast, Japanese veteran actor Yasuyuki Hirata, who portrays Shiro Ishii, the commander of Unit 731, has left a deep impression on moviegoers with his nuanced depiction of the character's dual nature.

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Hirata reflected not only on his role but on the broader historical and moral questions the film raises, particularly Japan's ongoing evasion of responsibility for wartime atrocities.  

Hirata expressed satisfaction with the film's reception, noting that its impact has even reached Japan.

"Director Zhao Linshan spent years researching and developing this project," Hirata recalled. "When I first met him, I was deeply moved by his dedication for telling this story. I'm truly glad that the film has finally been released and garnered such widespread attention."

Hirata described Ishii as a figure of disturbing duality, outwardly gentle, yet capable of unspeakable cruelty. 

For an actor often typecast in Chinese productions as a Japanese officer, a niche he has occupied for over two decades, this role carried unique weight. 

"I sought to reveal the terror and madness hidden beneath that calm surface," he explained. Acknowledging Ishii's postwar evasion of justice through a deal with US authorities, Hirata labeled him "despicable."  

While Hirata views film primarily as entertainment, he recognizes its power to provoke reflection. 

Evil Unbound arrives at a time of ongoing global conflict. Hirata expressed hope that the film would remind viewers in China and Japan, the two nations now at peace, to cherish that hard-won stability.  

"Both China and Japan, as nations, enjoy a peaceful life now. I hope this film makes people realize just how precious this peaceful life is and cherish every day. Armed conflict leaves only scars and rubble," he noted.  

Yet the scars of Unit 731 remain particularly raw in China, where the unit's experiments on humans and biological warfare research have long been documented. 

In Japan, however, public awareness remains limited. Hirata pointed to writer Seiichi Morimura's 1981 book The Devil's Gluttony which exposed Unit 731's atrocities as a breakthrough, but emphasized that full acknowledgment has been stifled at the national level.  

Hirata attributed this lack of awareness to the Japanese government's failure to recognize Unit 731's crimes as major wartime atrocities. 

"If Japan truly recognizes the heinous crimes it committed during the war, it should, just like Germany did after World War II, offer a formal apology to all affected countries," he told the Global Times.

Despite the gravity of the film's subject, Hirata remains committed to his craft above all. 

"I take on roles without political intent," he said. "To move one more person through performance, that is an actor's greatest honor."  

Japanese actor Yasuyuki Hirata Photo: Courtesy of Yasuyuki Hirata

With a career spanning half a century, Hirata made his debut in Chinese cinema in 2001, playing Ito Hirobumi, the first prime minister of Japan, in a Chinese series The Way to the Republic.

Over the past two decades, he has starred in lots of Chinese films and TV dramas, mostly as Japanese military characters, both real and fictional.

"I've always been careful not to turn these roles into one-sided stereotypes," Hirata said. "Every character has its own story, and works need villains to drive the narrative. I have no resistance to playing such roles at all." 

He spoke warmly of his experiences in Chinese film crews, noting that he has always been greeted with enthusiasm by cast and crew members.

"What I love most is the ability to move between reality and fiction through acting," Hirata said. "For the rest of my career, I will continue giving my all to every role I take on."