Historiography of the Nanjing Massacre

The Historiography of the Nanjing Massacre examines how the 1937–1938 massacre of Chinese by the Imperial Japanese Army in Nanjing has been documented, interpreted, and debated over time. Scholarly interpretations vary regarding the scale of the atrocities, the responsibility of Japanese authorities, and the ways in which the massacre has been remembered or downplayed in Japan, China, and internationally outside the two Asian countries. Debates have been shaped by nationalist perspectives, political considerations, access to sources, and evolving historical methods, highlighting how memory, ideology, and evidence influence the understanding of this pivotal event in East Asian history.

While mainly written by non-academic lay authors, revisionist works of the Nanjing Massacre in Japan have been increasingly vocal in the past years, generating international disputes and heightening nationalist tensions. A widely cited figure in historical discussions is that over 200,000 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war were killed during the Nanjing Massacre, according to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), convened after World War II. Despite numerous attempts at collaboration, Japan and China have yet to reach an agreement on the death toll, and the debate remains a significant factor in regional geopolitical tensions in East Asia.