OSAKA, Japan, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) — A neighborhood civil group has held a gathering urging the Japanese public to mirror on the historic classes and modern significance of the Nanjing Massacre in gentle of the present international scenario, emphasizing the significance of not forgetting historical past in constructing peace.
The gathering was held by the “Connecting Memories of Nanjing” civil group in Osaka on Saturday to commemorate the 86th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre.
The founding father of the group, Tamaki Matsuoka, mentioned in a speech, “I started conducting on-site investigations in Nanjing 35 years ago, interviewing survivors of the Nanjing Massacre and collecting testimonies from Japanese veterans who served in China.”
“Throughout this process, I keenly felt the lingering pain inflicted on the survivors by the Nanjing Massacre that has yet to dissipate,” mentioned Matsuoka, additionally president of Meishinkai, a corporation devoted to calling on Japanese folks to withstand and keep in mind historic info associated to the Nanjing Massacre.
Following her tackle, all contributors on the gathering stood in a second of silence to pay tribute to the Nanjing Massacre survivors who handed away prior to now yr.
Chinese scholar Gao Wenjun, who attended the occasion, outlined the difficult means of conducting a joint investigation with Matsuoka into the bloodbath at Taiping Gate in Nanjing over time.
Based on their analysis, Matsuoka funded the manufacturing of the documentary movie “1,300 Lives Lost by Taiping Gate” which vividly reconstructs the atrocity. The movie options Japanese veterans who on digicam acknowledged their involvement within the heinous bloodbath of harmless Chinese civilians.
A documentary movie that includes late U.S. doctor Robert O. Wilson was additionally screened on the occasion. The movie tells the story of Wilson’s tireless efforts to save lots of Chinese refugees through the Nanjing Massacre in 1937.
Among over 150 Japanese residents taking part within the occasion was Nomura, who famous that the trendy historical past curriculum in Japanese colleges barely covers Japan’s navy invasion of China.
She emphasised that many Japanese younger persons are unaware of this historical past, labeling it as a “major problem.”
Kimura, a daily attendee of the annual gathering, criticized the Japanese authorities for not responding to disturbing voices denying the bloodbath dedicated by the Japanese Imperial Army in China throughout WWII.
Highlighting the numerous enhance in Japan’s protection funds, he warned that individuals must be vigilant in opposition to any indicators of a harmful shift towards repeating the errors of the previous.
Established in 2014, the “Connecting Memories of Nanjing” holds common gatherings yearly to recollect the historical past of the horrendous Nanjing Massacre.