Analyzing the “Photographic Evidence” of the Nanking Massacre

Photo A Photo 131Photo 131: Second Lieutenants Noda Tsuyoshi (right) and Mukai Toshiaki (left).Photographed at the eastern gate of Changzhou, to the east of Nanking, in late November1937. (Courtesy of Noda Masa).Photo A: “Two officers competing with each other to first kill 100: Noda Tsuyoshi (right)and Mukai Toshiaki (left). Photographed by correspondent Satō [Shinju] at Changzhou.”Tokyo Nichinichi Newspaper, 13 December 1937.The Tokyo Nichinichi Newspaper certainly entered a fine print that made clear whotook that image at what location—correspondent Satō Shinju at Changzhou, about 100kmeast of Nanking. But there was no description of date. Such an insufficient explanationalmost surely misled the readers. Thus, the Tokyo Nichinichi Newspaper should be heldaccountable for having used Photo 131, which was actually taken in late November, as if ithad been a snapshot at the noon of December 10.The Asahi Newspaper started a journal article series entitled “Chūgoku no tabi”[trip in China] by Honda Katsuichi in August 1971—about one year prior to thenormalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relationship in September the following year.A November 5, 1971, article in this series featured the story of this alleged killing contest204