Japanese Soldier's Letter Reveals Nanjing Massacre Atrocities

China has unveiled new historical materials shedding light on the Nanjing Massacre, coinciding with the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall hosted a donation event, presenting over 150 archival items and 100 documents collected in the first half of this year.

These newly revealed materials include personal letters from Japanese soldiers, postcards from the war front, and training materials for poison gas warfare. One particularly striking item is a letter dated December 20, 1937, written by a soldier from the Japanese 16th Division. In it, the soldier recounts, "We killed over 10,000 defeated soldiers a few days ago," offering a chilling firsthand account from a perpetrator.

Another disclosed item is a postcard sent by a soldier from the 114th Division to his home, detailing his unit's attack on an arsenal and the capture of numerous Chinese prisoners and weapons. These prisoners were reportedly subjected to mass killings afterward. China has been actively collecting and publicizing historical records related to the Nanjing Massacre, gathered through donations and excavations. Since 2014, China has designated December 13th as a national memorial day for the Nanjing Massacre, holding state-level commemorative ceremonies.

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We killed over 10,000 defeated soldiers a few days ago.