Nanjing Massacre — 300,000 vs Denial, KR-CN-JP Perspectives
December 1937: Mass murder and rape after Japanese military occupation of Nanjing
On December 13, 1937, the Japanese military occupied Nanjing (then China's capital) during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Over approximately 6 weeks, mass murder, rape, looting, and arson were committed. This is known as the 'Nanjing Massacre' or 'Nanjing Incident.'
Event Overview
What happened after Japan's occupation was documented by Westerners who stayed in Nanjing (German John Rabe, American missionaries, etc.).
Massacre: Mass execution of surrendered Chinese soldiers and civilians. Machine-gun massacres along the Yangtze, beheading contests (Japanese newspapers reported the "100-person kill contest" like sports)
Rape: An estimated 20,000-80,000 women raped, even within the "Nanjing Safety Zone" established by Westerners
Looting/Arson: Systematic looting and burning of the entire city
Death Toll — The Biggest Dispute
| Position | Estimated Deaths | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese government official | 300,000+ | Nanjing Memorial Hall figure, Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal verdict |
| Japanese mainstream academia | Tens of thousands to 200,000 | Various estimates from historical analysis. Accepts massacre occurred |
| Japanese conservatives/right | A few thousand or less or "fabrication" | Denies the event or claims "lawful killings during combat" |
| Western historians | 150,000-300,000 | Based on Western eyewitness records, Rabe's diary |
Perspectives
China: The Nanjing Massacre is a core memory of the War of Resistance. December 13 is a National Memorial Day. The number "300,000" has become a national symbol.
Korea: Under colonial rule at the time, Korea views the massacre as evidence of Japanese imperial brutality — taught alongside comfort women and forced labor as examples of "what the Japanese military did."
Japan: Three main views exist — the "great massacre" school (100-200k), the "middle" school (40k-tens of thousands), and the "denial/illusion" school (none or minimal). Japanese textbooks mention the "Nanjing Incident" but detail varies.
Key Timeline
Dec 13, 1937: Japanese military occupies China's capital Nanjing
~6 weeks of mass murder, rape, and looting
Death toll: China 300k+ vs Japan mainstream tens of thousands-200k vs deniers "fabrication"
1946: Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal verdict as war crime
2014: China designates December 13 as National Memorial Day