Analyzing the “Photographic Evidence” of the Nanking Massacre

As for Nihon no shinryaku: Chūgoku Chōsen [Japan’s invasion: China and Korea]by Kuraha Kiyotaka and Kajimura Hideki, it carries the Photo J with a considerable degreeof alteration. While Matsuo’s handwriting was almost deleted, only the stamp mark of“not permitted” remains as seen on Photo 137. Furthermore, its caption reads, “A Chinesesoldier who failed to retreat in time and was caught. Near Yuepuzhen. This photographwas also prohibited from publication out of concern about international repercussion.”(Emphasis by authors) RON-YY also attaches to this image the following caption, “Thekilling of a Chinese civilian in progress at the town of Yuepu near Shanghai. (This photowas taken by a Japanese journalist. The seal on the right side of the photo was put on bythe Japanese News Censorship Bureau. It reads: “Not permitted.”)On top of their disregard of the original photographer’s explanation, the editors ofthese publications concocted its caption arbitrarily for their own convenience: “arrest” of aChinese “regular soldier” was turned into “killing” of a Chinese “civilian” while the reasonfor his capture was changed from “stealing canned food” into the failure “to retreat intime.”An important side note is that it was almost an established international custom todisallow the publication of photographs depicting POWs on the media. The same wastrue of Japan at the time. Although this photograph was not permitted for publication, thatMatsuo was able to photograph this scene indirectly proves that it was not a scene ofillegitimate act committed by the Japanese soldiers.218