Analyzing the “Photographic Evidence” of the Nanking Massacre

(2) Alleged murder of childrenAmong the exhibits at the Memorial Hall in Nanking are numerous photographsincluding those subjected to analysis by the research team. Saotome Katsumoto reprintedone of these photographs, Photo 97, on a page within his publication entitled Haha to ko demiru Nankin kara no tegami [Letters from Nanking for Mother and Children to Read] asshown in Photo G. The image depicts many dead bodies.The explanation given by the Memorial Hall says “The Japanese army slaughteredmany innocent Chinese children in Nanking.” He Yingqin also provided a similar captionof the same photo that was included in the gravure preface of his Rijun Qinhua BanianKangzhanshi [History of Eight-Year Resistance War Against the Invading Japanese].Photo GPhoto H Photo 97Photo G and 97: Photo G is in Haha to ko de miru Nankin kara no tegami, p. 75. Photo97 is an enlarged version of Photo G.Photo H: One of the photographs in the infographic section of Chōsenjin kyōsei renkō nokiroku [Record of Forced Conscription of Koreans]. Its handwritten caption reads,“Korean infants, who were murdered by local bandits.” They may have been the victimsof an anti-Japanese riot instigated by Korean independence activists at Jiandao in 1930.159