Shudo Higashinakano
Encyclopedia
is a professor of intellectual history at Asia University
who maintains that the 1937 Nanking Massacre
("The Rape of Nanking") committed by Japanese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War
is a hoax.
Higashinakano came to public attention when he attacked Iris Chang
's 1997 book The Rape of Nanking
. He argued in an opinion column that appeared in Sankei Shimbun
that the book was "pure baloney", asserting that there was "no witness of illegal executions or murders". Referring to the war crimes trial in Tokyo after World War II
, he opined that "there existed no 'Rape of Nanking' as alleged by the Tokyo Trial." He claimed to have identified 90 historical factual errors in the first 64 pages of The Rape of Nanking, some of which were corrected in the 1998 Penguin Books
edition of the book.
Higashinakano pursued his arguments in his book Thorough Review of Nanjing Massacre (published in English as The Nanking Massacre: Fact versus Fiction, 2006). In 2006 Xia Shuqin (夏淑琴), a Chinese woman whose testimony he sought to discredit in his book, took Higashinakano to court in China, winning 1.6 million yuan in damages. Higashinakano had claimed that she had not been a witness of the Nanking massacre and was not the child filmed by the missionary John Magee during the event.
The case was later pursued in the Japanese courts. On 5 February 2009 the Supreme Court of Japan
ordered Higashinakano to pay JPY
4 million in damages
to Xia Shuqin, asserting that he had libelously defamed her. Higashinakano and his publisher Tendensha appealed, but lost their case. Higashinakano was unable to prove that Mrs. Xia and the girl in the film were different persons, contrary to what he had claimed in his book.
Asia University (Japan)
thumb|right|Asia UniversityThe is a private university located in Tokyo, Japan that offers courses in Business Administration, Economics, Law and International Relations...
who maintains that the 1937 Nanking Massacre
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...
("The Rape of Nanking") committed by Japanese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
is a hoax.
Higashinakano came to public attention when he attacked Iris Chang
Iris Chang
Iris Shun-Ru Chang was an American historian and journalist. She is best known for her best-selling 1997 account of the Nanking Massacre, The Rape of Nanking. She committed suicide on November 9, 2004...
's 1997 book The Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking (book)
The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II is a bestselling 1997 non-fiction book written by Iris Chang about the 1937–1938 Nanking Massacre, the massacre and atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after it captured Nanjing, then capital of China, during the Second...
. He argued in an opinion column that appeared in Sankei Shimbun
Sankei Shimbun
is a daily newspaper in Japan published by the . It has the sixth highest circulation for a newspaper in Japan, and is considered as one of the five "national" newspapers...
that the book was "pure baloney", asserting that there was "no witness of illegal executions or murders". Referring to the war crimes trial in Tokyo after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he opined that "there existed no 'Rape of Nanking' as alleged by the Tokyo Trial." He claimed to have identified 90 historical factual errors in the first 64 pages of The Rape of Nanking, some of which were corrected in the 1998 Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
edition of the book.
Higashinakano pursued his arguments in his book Thorough Review of Nanjing Massacre (published in English as The Nanking Massacre: Fact versus Fiction, 2006). In 2006 Xia Shuqin (夏淑琴), a Chinese woman whose testimony he sought to discredit in his book, took Higashinakano to court in China, winning 1.6 million yuan in damages. Higashinakano had claimed that she had not been a witness of the Nanking massacre and was not the child filmed by the missionary John Magee during the event.
The case was later pursued in the Japanese courts. On 5 February 2009 the Supreme Court of Japan
Supreme Court of Japan
The Supreme Court of Japan , located in Chiyoda, Tokyo is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law...
ordered Higashinakano to pay JPY
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
4 million in damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
to Xia Shuqin, asserting that he had libelously defamed her. Higashinakano and his publisher Tendensha appealed, but lost their case. Higashinakano was unable to prove that Mrs. Xia and the girl in the film were different persons, contrary to what he had claimed in his book.