Joint Statement by Japanese Netizens Objecting to the Negative Campaign against the Film Nanking and to the Nanking Massacre Denial
Just after the production of the film Nanking (produced by Ted Leonsis, Bill Guttentag et al., directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman) was announced in November 2006, a Japanese daily newspaper gave a false report that the film is based on the book by a Chinese-American writer "known for her anti-Japan view of history" (Sankei Shimbun, 26th Nov. 2006); some other media followed this and prejudicially reported that Nanking is an "anti-Japan movie" or a "black propaganda". The news triggered off the Nanking Massacre denialists' attack with a large number of hostile comments on the blogs of people involved (Mr. Leonsis, a Japanese actor appearing in the movie, etc.) . Their blogs have been filled with comments by several individuals insisting that the Nanking Massacre is a fiction fabricated through the anti-Japan propaganda by China. In view of this situation, we, being concerned about war crimes in general and/or worried about the denialist activities on the war crimes of Imperial Japanese armed forces, declare the following:
1. The Nanking Atrocity or the Nanking Massacre is an undeniable historical fact. We all agree that what should be called "atrocity" or "massacre" did occur, while we reserve the right to have each own views of the details of the violent acts committed in the winter of 1937-1938 in Nanking.
2. We will never approve of the negative campaign, based on denialist/racist motivation, against this film. We firmly advocate the freedom to produce and release a film about this controversial topic, though we refrain from evaluating the film itself before it is released in Japan. We also hope that the release of the film in Japan will activate research on the Nanking Massacre.
3. We know that the Nanking Massacre Denial is supported by neither academic historians nor Japanese Government. We have objected and will continue to object against the Nanking Massacre denial within each one's capacity.28th Feb. 2007
(Japanese version of this statement was announced in 23th Feb.)( list of those who endorse, in alphabetical order)
anemonefish (http://anemonefish.cocolog-nifty.com/osakana)
Apeman (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Apeman/)
bat99 (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/bat99/)
bluefox014 (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/bluefox014/)
claw (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/claw/)
CrowClaw (http://mellowmoon.blog93.fc2.com/)
D_Amon (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/D_Amon/)
Dr-Seton (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Dr-Seton/)
good2nd (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/good2nd/)
hanak53 (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/hanak53/)
jujo (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/jujo/)
Kay (http://ktsutsui.hp.infoseek.co.jp/)
kurotokage (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/kurotokage/)
mojimoji (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/mojimoji/)
mujin (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/mujin/)
NakanishiB (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/NakanishiB/)
nanasisan_anonymous (http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/nanasisan_anonymous/)
noharra (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/noharra/)
pippo (http://www.geocities.jp/pipopipo555jp/)
scopedog (http://ameblo.jp/scopedog/)
sillyfish (http://sillyfish.blog2.fc2.com/)
Takahashi (http://himadesu.seesaa.net/)
tanaka (http://haseitai.cocolog-nifty.com)
uchya_x (http://uchyax.exblog.jp/)
ziebzig (http://blog.goo.ne.jp/1937-2007/)
and more...
Please post a comment to this joint statement. Click here or mail to Apeman.