Course: ASIA
Section:100
I am a Japanese journalist; and my job is to focus on the job that is about the relationship between Japan and China. In these years, I went to China lots of time. I found out that Chinese people discriminate Japanese. I still can remember that I went to Beijing, the capital of China, lots of times, and I want to catch cab. However, lots of drivers refused me, because I am Japanese. Even some Chinese drivers asked an extremely different price from me, which are three or four times higher than the normal price. Therefore, I am going to dig whether Chinese people hate Japanese people.
Although lots of Chinese people hate me, I still can make some Chinese friend without any discrimination. One of my friends, whose name is Jingdi Liu, told me the reasons. He is the nicest Chinese guy I meet in my entire life. He told me that the reason is about the war between China and Japan in the 20th century. Meanwhile, the most serious problem is the Nanking Massacre that was about Japanese killed around 300 thousands Chinese people between 1937 and 1938. Almost 90% of Chinese people hate Japanese, because of that.
However, for me, I did not believe the Nanking Massacre at all, because I believe my country is perfect, and people is the excellent. My grandpa who is Japanese right-wingers also taught to me that Nanking Massacre did not exist; and all death came from the war, not from the massacre. Therefore, I do not believe Japanese killed 300 thousands Chinese people in that era. As well as, I read some articles about Nanking Massacre, which has lots of different versions of stories in my country. Therefore, it is hard for me to tell who is right and who is wrong, because some articles proved the Nanking Massacre is real, however some articles totally denied the Nanking Massacre. Thus that, I am going to go to Najing city to find out the truth of the Nanking Massacre.
I went to Najing with Jingdi, because I did not know lots of Chinese words. The place that I pick to find out the truth is the museum for the Naking Massacre,The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. After the museum, my perception about the Nanking Massacre is totally changed. In the beginning, when I saw the name of the museum, I was pissed. However, I keep myself clam down. Then, I went to inside of the museum, and my perception is totally changed. In the memorial hall, I saw lots of pictures, newspapers, sign, and skulls, and then I cried, because I feel guilty about the massacre.
The first thing I saw the site of “the Mass Grave of 10,000 corpses” which showed the tons of the skulls that was the people killed in that time. As well, I saw some iron nails used to cruelly kill Chinese by Japanese soldiers. Some of them knocked into the skeletons, skull, limbs and skeletons. After this, I also saw lots of pictures and news. There is news attracted me, which showed a killing contest between two Japanese officers as reported in the Japan Advertiser; and the purpose is to see which of them could kill 100 people with the sword. Then I saw lots of real pictures about the naked woman who were just raped. The international Military Tribunal for the Far East estimated that 20,000 women were raped, including infants and the elderly. There are some words to explain the pictures that talked about that the women were usually gang raped, as well they were often killed immediately after being raped, and they were killed explicit mutilation or by stabbing a bayonet, long stick of bamboo, or other objects into the vagina.
On 19 December 1937, the Reverend James M. McCallum wrote in his diary:
I know not where to end. Never I have heard or read such brutality. Rape! Rape! Rape! We estimate at least 1,000 cases a night, and many by day. In case of resistance or anything that seems like disapproval, there is a bayonet stab or a bullet ... People are hysterical ... Women are being carried off every morning, afternoon and evening. The whole Japanese army seems to be free to go and come as it pleases, and to do whatever it pleases.[53]
Then I saw pictures that were about tons of died people on the ground, and the picture that showed people were killing. The soldiers were enjoying the time to kill people, and they regard it as an interested activity. I feel shame about my country and feel apologized for all Chinese people. During the invasion, Japanese soldiers also took lots of valuable cultural relic and books.
All in all, I knew all the truth about the Rape of Nanking, and I knew my country hind the truth about us, because I just connect with the history about that event, which did not talk the truth, data, and pictures. They also taught Japan invade Nanjing was just a normal strategy in the war, and Japanese solider were killed a lot in Nanjing; as well it is still a conflict question in the modern society.
On the other hand, I also knew why some Chinese people hate Japanese. Therefore, I want to propose with two solutions. The first solution is to face the history and tell all Japanese people the true history about the Nanking Massacre, because all Japanese Citizens should have the right to know the truth. The most important thing is mistake had already passed, and we cannot change anything; however the thing we can do is the attitude to face the mistake, and try our best to fix the mistake. Then the second solution is to return all valuable cultural relic and books that took from China, because we made mistakes already, and we need to find the way to get forgive from China. Therefore, the best way to get forgiveness is to return all the stuffs that we taken from China before, in order to show the attitude and keep the good relationship with China. The reason is China is one of the most important countries for Japan, which affect Japanese culture, economy, and development in the future.
At last, I hope the world will be peace, and no more wars anymore.