The Truth about Nanjing

The Truth about Nanjing (南京の真実, Nankin no shinjitsu^?) is a forthcoming film by Japanese filmmaker Satoru Mizushima (水島 総^?) about the 1937 Nanking Massacre.

The film, backed by nationalistic figures including Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara and public donation,^[1] is intended to expose alleged propaganda^[2] aspects of the Nanking Massacre. Less than a month before the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing massacre, the director said in an interview^[1] that Japanese war criminals were martyrs who were made into scapegoats for war crimes as Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross in order to bear the sins of the world, and they died bearing all of old Japan's good and bad parts. He also claimed that the Nanjing Massacre was a politically motivated frame-up by China and the numerous Western eyewitnesses, whose accounts form the basis of the historical understanding of the Nanjing Massacre. These accounts are, according to the filmmakers, espionage activities.

Satoru said that the project is meant to counter the film Nanking, a 2007 American documentary, which he believes is "based on fabrications and gives a false impression"^[3] and which he perceives to be a "setup by China to control intelligence".

Plot

The movie is planned to be a three-part series.

• First part "Seven condemned criminals" (The theme is Class A war criminals.)

This part shows the last day of the seven people who were condemned to death in 1948 by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and executed on 23 December 1948 at Sugamo Prison, Tokyo.

• Second part is for verification. (Documentary)
• Third part is for America. (Drama)

Cast

Cast of the first part

• Kenkichi Hamahata - Iwane Matsui
• Jun Fujimaki - Hideki Tōjō
• Minori Terada - Kōki Hirota
• Shōhei Yamada - Seishirō Itagaki
• Kuniyasu Atsumi - Kenji Doihara
• Baiken Jukkanji - Akira Mutō
• Akira Kubo - Heitarō Kimura
• Kan Mikami - Shinshō Hanayama, Chaplain of Sugamo Prison
• Kyōko Kamimura - Fumiko Matsui, wife of Iwane Matsui
• Setsuko Karasuma - Shizuko Hirota, wife of Kōki Hirota

See also

	Japan portal
	Film portal
	World War II portal

• Nanking Massacre
• Nanking Massacre controversy and denial
• Japanese war crimes
• The Rape of Nanking, written by Iris Chang
• Japanese nationalism
• Japanese militarism
• Japanese right-wing

References

1. ^ ^{a b} The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/26/AR2007112600477.html. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Hongo, Jun (2007-01-25). "Filmmaker to paint Nanjing slaughter as just myth". The Japan Times. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070125a3.html. 
3. ^ Schilling, Mark (2007-01-24). "Docs offer rival visions of Nanking". Variety. http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=features2007&content=jump&jump=story&dept=sundance&nav=NSundance&articleid=VR1117958065&cs=1. 

External links

• (Japanese) 'Nanking No Shinjitsu' official website
• 'Nanking No Shinjitsu' official website in English
• "Film director brands Nanjing massacre a myth." Stuff.co.nz. Last updated January 1, 2009.