Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

Last Sunday, I went to the public conference building in Tokyo. One room was rent by Japanese peace group named "No more Nanjing."

The purpose of the room renting was to show a very shocking Hollywood produced documentary film "Nanking" and hold the public hearing of the masscre survivor from Nanjing. Plus public speech by journalist of Japan's mainstream newspaper, The Asahi Shimbun.

The below is the preview of the film. The film was shown in the U.S. and China.

 

 

It was the first showing in Tokyo, Japan. Very first one in Japan was done in Fukuoka, Japan on 7 of December.

The film started with the speech of memoires of westerners who stayed in Nanjing during the occupation by the Japanese army.

The speeches are made by the actors who disguised as actual characters in that event.

In August 1937, Japanese army grounded on Shanghai and started invasion of China. They bombed Nanjing (Nanking) which was the capital of China at that time. In November the troops arrived in Nanjing and occupied the city. They looted, raped and killed Chinese citizens there.

 

The westerners set up the safety zone to protect Chinese. American college teacher, Minie Vautrin acted by Mariel Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's grand daughter defended young women from rape by Japanese.

The actual footages, real talking of survivors and soldiers are also shown. The survivors talked about their rape experience or what happened in front of them such as their parents or brothers or sisters being murdered in front of them. The soldiers talked how and why they mass-murdered thousands of POW or innocent citizens and raped women.

There is not much new to me because I've got involved in this peace activity and learned the history of Sino-Japan war in 1930's. 

It was cruel, our people in fact did terribles things to neighboring nations before WW2 ended.

The survivor who talked to the audience (approximately 200) in the conference room was the old Chinese woman who experience rape by Japanese soldier. She was raped and survived in the hell. But even after the war was over, she had to go through very hard time because her husband treated her so badly because she was found not virgin. She never could tell him why she was not. After the age of 80, she decided to speak up.

 

After her testimony, Japanese journalist, Mr. Yoichi Jomaru made a speech on the role of his company in the war. During the war time, especially embedded journalists were not allowed to report anything unfavourable to their troops, they had to act as PR section of the military. But the media themselves actively became backers of their troops. That exactly happens even in present time when freedom press is insured.

 

Some right wingers criticize me and other peace activists for revealing such unfavourable stories of Japan's history. I do not get along with them. I love my country. I am proud of being Japanese. That is why I am involved in this activity. By doing so, we can appeal to the world including Chinese people, we are no longer brutal like that in the film, we know the facts, so we do not do that again.

 

And we all wish for the world peace and happiness of all the people on the earth.

 

Response to Christopher's question:

Rape is crime in modern Japan and even before the war ended it was a crime in our terriorty or outside. What the troops did in China was against Geneve Convention and even the marshal law of the imperial army.

The comic you suggest is not popular in Japan but maybe among porno comic maniacs, not among ordinary comic fans.