Analyzing the “Photographic Evidence” of the Nanking Massacre

Our search also revealed that an image almost identical to Photos 35 was printedin Shinajihen shashin zenshū, vol. 2: Shanhai sensen [Pictorial Collection of TheSino-Japanese War, vol. 1: Shanghai Front] published on March 1, 1938. It seems thatthe image framing of this photo is more similar to that of RBS.Also printed in this source is Photo F, in which farmers are seen following aJapanese soldier in a peaceful atmosphere. Although whether the persons in this imageare the same persons as shown on Photo 35 is not clear, one may speculate that someonetook these pictures in sequence.The RBS caption of Photo 36 reads, “Wherever the invading troops passed, allthe chickens and dogs disappeared.” More recently, Saotome Katsumoto in his Anakara ana e 13-nen [From Cave to Cave for 13 years] made a drawing of this pictorialimage and attached the following statement: “The Japanese plundering in China was veryintense. It was said that the village where the Japanese troops passed could not recoverat least for ten years.” The same image is in RON-YY as well.Our probe, however, revealed—again—that this photograph made its firstappearance with a totally different caption. Asahi-ban shina jihen gahō [Sino-JapaneseWar Pictorial Report by The Asahi Newspaper] no. 9 contained this image on the backcover of its December 5, 1937, issue, and its caption read, “A soldier marching forwardwith chickens that he had purchased from a Chinese residence hanging around hisneck—photograph by correspondence Ogawa at Fenglezhen close to the Jinghan railwayline.” Thus, this Japanese soldier clearly bought these chickens.Photo 36: RBS caption of this photograph says, “Wherever the Japanesearmy marches in, they loot everything including dogs andchickens.”106