Unit 9420

Formed in 1942 to support the Japanese Southern Army, Unit 9420 or Oka Unit consisted of two units: the Umeoka Unit specialising in the plague, and the Kono Unit specialising in malaria.

Commanded by Major General Kitagawa Masataka the Unit was head quartered in the Raffles Medical University in Singapore, with some evidence that it also had sub-units operating in Thailand and working on unknown diseases. Coupled to its work on the plague the unit was also responsible for rat catching.