Analyzing the “Photographic Evidence” of the Nanking Massacre

Photo J is also Matsuo’s as his handwriting clearly reads, “Photographed byMatsuo.” The handwritten caption on the right says, “A Chinese regular soldier caughtstealing canned food of the Japanese army. In the south of Yuepuzhen.” Most likely,Matsu captured this image by pure coincidence as he happened to be at the scene of thisarrest. Cans are certainly observable as indicated with an arrow. Again, the viewers maywell consider this as a scene that depicts Japanese soldiers abusing a Chinese man.Photo JPhoto 137Photo J: Fukyoka shashin: shiriizu 20-seiki no kiroku, p. 77. The handwritten explanationidentifies the man surrounded by the Japanese military personnel as a Chinese soldier who“had stolen canned food from the Japanese army.”Photo 137: A caption attached to the same image in Nihon no shinryaku: Chūgoku Chōsen,p. 49, says, “A Chinese soldier who failed to retreat in time and was caught. NearYuepuzhen. This photograph was also prohibited from publication out of concern aboutinternational repercussion.”217