A Descendant of Nanjing

First Trip to Japan

In March 2014, the Aichi Prefecture Federation of the Japan-China Friendship Association officially invited Wu to participate in the annual exhibition. After serious consideration and careful selection, Wu brought 28 photos that reflected the Nanjing Massacre, 24 of which were exhibited in Japan. This marked the first time exhibits from Wu’s museum went on display in Japan.

The exhibition covered more than 1,000 square meters on the fourth floor of the Nagoya Civic Assembly Hall. The 24 pictures of the Nanjing Massacre Wu provided were displayed in a separate room.

“Those photos were published in Japan, but this exhibition lets Japanese people know the kind of photos that are exhibited in China,” Wu said.

However, the exhibition did not achieve its expected effect. Although there were many visitors, most were middle-aged or elderly. Young people were sparsely represented. Wu expressed his understanding of why this should be to the Japanese sponsors. As right-wing forces in Japan these days are alarmingly active, most ordinary Japanese people have only a vague understanding of that period of history.

“I asked the young Japanese people I met why they weren’t interested in the history of the Nanjing Massacre. They replied that it was because there are still disputes between the governments of Japan and China on the issue. That is a very dangerous signal. This blinkered view of history by the Japanese youth will widen the gap between China and Japan, and so seriously jeopardize the foundation of China-Japan friendship,” Wu said.

During the exhibition, Wu also noticed another phenomenon. Although various Japanese media were present, only one of them, the Asahi Shimbun, included a brief narrative in its report. It mentioned that the curator of a private museum of China’s war against Japanese aggression had come to Japan to talk about the Sino-Japanese war, and expressed his desire for peace.

Wu said he felt dissatisfied with the article, but that he could understand why it said so little. In the past there were limited channels of communication with Japan. Consequently the Japanese people now find it difficult to acknowledge the Nanjing Massacre when anyone makes direct reference to it.

“As a non-governmental organization, we proceed from the facts and are scrupulously impartial,” Wu said. The Nanjing Massacre is an event of global impact – a term that was both raised and authorized by the International Court of Justice. From an objective perspective, therefore, the Nanjing Massacre indeed occurred, and can be verified by proof and evidence scattered throughout the world.

“Based on the communication I had with Japanese historians, giving Japanese people a clear understanding of that historical event is not a problem. However, since right-wing forces hold such great sway in Japanese society, they have generated within public opinion a plethora of disputes between the Chinese and Japanese governments about the reality of the Nanjing Massacre. This leads to a distorted view of history by both Japanese youth and everyday Japanese people,” Wu said.

Wu would like to go to Japan again if he gets opportunity, but would, he said, make more preparations for any future trip, such as through dialogues with Japanese media and historians. He is highly appreciative of the efforts of the 38 Japanese NGOs that participated in the exhibition. It was their encouragement that made it possible for a Chinese non-governmental organization to take part.