Overview | Chinese Perspectives | Japanese Perspectives

During the invasion of Nanjing, it is reported that the Japanese did not and could not have committed a lot of the atrocities claimed surrounding the Nanking Massacre. When the Japanese soldiers came to Nanjing, it is claimed they saw an empty city. When they were invading the city, they saw a lot of civilians inside their homes. The Japanese soldiers tried to look for the Chinese soldiers who fought them during their invasion, but the Chinese soldiers had dressed up as ordinary people to blend in with the civilians. It is reported that they killed their own civilians to do so. The Japanese soldiers were frustrated, but they took all of the Chinese men who were suspected of being soldiers and killed all of them.

There are still some denials that the Japanese people have performed some of the atrocities on the Chinese. For instance, some of the personal accounts may have been written to urge more help for the Chinese during this time. It is also claimed that the Japanese soldiers who were interviewed may have been ashamed of what they did to the Chinese, so did not say much. One source by Zhang alleges that there was a Japanese soldier by the name of Hajime Kondo who talked about his experiences of raping Chinese women. As reported Kondo explained that the act of rape was not only just for pleasure but also for initiation among his peers to show that one is not weak (Akira).

Reference:

The Massacre of Nanjing: a Japanese view. The ‘Massacre’ of Nanjing: A        Japanese View. February 7, 2000. July 17, 2007.  <http://www.warbirdforum.com/massacre.htm>

Iriye, Akira. Horrors in the East. London: Laurence Rees., 2001