SDHF Newsletter No.208 The Nanjing Incident-Japanese eyewiness 10

The Nanjing Incident: Japanese Eyewitness Accounts
-Testimony from 48 Japanese Who Were There-
By Ara Ken’ichi
No. 10: Chapter 4 Nanjing, as Observed by Diplomats
Mr. Iwai Eiichi, Assistant Consul
Mr. Kasuya Yoshio, Assistant Consul
Supplement

May 23, 2018

Mr. Iwai Eiichi, a China expert in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, graduated from the Dong A Dong Wen Shu Yuen, or the East Asian Literary School. It was said that he had a strong network of acquaintances in the military.
He went to Nanjing in the beginning of 1938 to inspect Japan’s area of occupation. While there, he says he didn’t see anything that suggested a massacre or didn’t hear about a massacre.
He says that Major General Sasaki Toichi, who participated in the Nanjing attack as Brigadier Commander, would be the best person to hear from concerning what happened in Nanjing. Because Major General Sasaki was the top expert on China in the Army, had friendly relationships with most of the main leaders of the Chinese Nationalist Party, including Chiang Kai-shek, and understood the Nationalist Party’s Revolution. He loved China. Major General Sasaki published “Autobiography of a Soldier” in 1965, in which he mentioned the Battle of Nanjing.
Mr. Kasuya Yoshio was assigned to the Nanjing Consulate in early 1938. His duty was to contact and negotiate with foreign countries. The assault on American Consul Allison occurred at the end of January. He says “Mr. Allison went to the Japanese soldiers’ barracks to either confirm his suspicion or to investigate, and tried to cross a sentry line despite the guard’s warning and he was hit–that’s what I heard.” He also mentions that, “Mr. Allison was knowledgeable about the Japanese. It seemed that he didn’t take the incident badly in particular.”
The Supplement covers the words of 11 person Mr. Ara contacted but could not interview–he received letters from them instead. Also, another 19 persons’ names are listed, who Mr. Ara tried to contact and was unable to meet and did not receive any letters from them. Among the 11 persons Mr. Ara received a letter from, very well-known novelist Ishikawa Tatsuzo was one of them. He wrote the following:
“When I entered Nanjing, it was two weeks after the entrance ceremony. I didn’t see any trace of a massacre. It is impossible to clear out hundreds and thousands bodies within a couple of weeks. I have never believed that Nanjing massacre story and I don’t believe now.”

URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/book-article/1165/
PDF: https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Ara-Nanjing-10-.pdf

Questions are welcome.

MOTEKI Hiromichi, Acting Chairman
for KASE Hideaki, Chairman
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact