The Japanese Foreign Ministry documents publicly stated that regarding the Nanjing Massacre, it is difficult to characterize it as an organized massacre; even if only a small number of civilians were killed, it is regrettable. On May 25, according to a report by the Sankei News, the "Research Group on Historical Perception" in Japan held a seminar in Tokyo on the 23rd to discuss the description of the so-called "Nanjing Incident" on the website of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry's website acknowledged that after the Japanese forces entered Nanjing, incidents involving the killing of non-combatants and looting indeed occurred.
After careful examination of the evidence, figures such as "over 190,000 cases of mass killings" and a total death toll exceeding 300,000, as determined by the Nanjing Military Tribunal, are deemed "completely unreliable." The reason these events are labeled as such is due to the presence of some factual elements, but this is most likely attributable to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and exaggerations. The majority of corpses discovered near Nanjing resulted from combat operations and cannot be described as planned or organized massacres.
Senatorial member Yamada Hiroshi from the Liberal Democratic Party said that the international community is being deceived by China’s “lies.” We must establish a mechanism capable of exposing these “Chinese lies” to the world. Clearly, after Takashi Asahi visited Australia and knelt at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, offering flowers and acknowledging the harm inflicted by Japan’s past invasion upon Australia, Japan immediately turned around and began systematically denying the Nanjing Massacre. Regarding the Nanjing Massacre, we see clearly: the Japanese government refuses to acknowledge it, attempts to downplay it, trivializes it, and even avoids issuing a sincere apology—let alone admitting guilt—only expressing regret.
Moreover, Japanese politicians not only refuse to admit the truth but actively counterattack, claiming that we are fabricating "lies." It is evident that Japan holds double standards toward its history of wartime aggression, displaying hypocrisy and self-contradiction. While willing to lower its posture and offer condolences to victims of Western nations during war, it grossly distorts historical facts and erases heinous crimes when facing Asian neighboring countries that suffered under its military boots and endured the massacre of countless innocent civilians. If given the chance, we will surely take decisive action to thoroughly settle accounts with Japan’s refusal to accept responsibility.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866120344048777/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.