OT - Japanese WWII Atrocities

[chinadave2001]

Hi all. As you know, I teach history here in Connecticut. I would like to develop more lessons on Japanese atrocities in WWII in China. My main and only source so far has been Iris Changs Book on Nanjing. While it is very good, I feel that it only begins to describe what really happened.

I would like to know about any museums or other sites in China that could be visited, people who would be willing to be interviewed, documents, etc.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please post them here or pm me.

Thanks,

dave

[Mick]

The Memorial in Nanjing is one of the most moving places I have ever visited, especially if you are familiar with the history of what happened there. There is also a museum, I think in Changchun, that graphically depicts the Japanese occupation and bizarre experiments they conducted on residents and prisoners. Good luck in your research. Glad to hear you will be teaching about this.

[whoever]

There are many materials written in Chinese though. I am not sure if you could read Chinese. I doubt you could find any detail about what the Japanese did to the Chinese during WWII. Because they totally deny what happened.

 

And the Western countries are not telling people the details either. The only place you could find the details, is in China. And there are museums to show you the proofs.

 

The Japanese history book is trying to change the crimes they had committed in China during the WWII. Their text book is telling them, that they had invaded China during WWII, but they didn't tell how many were killed. Also, they were trying to say that the Chinese needed help from the Japanese, so they went as "peace-keeper".

 

There are so many things that the Japanese government is trying to cover up. And, they totally deny that they forces tens of thousands Chinese women to be prostitudes for their soldiers. They said those women wanted to be prostitudes because they wanted the pay. I am not gonna get in the details too much, because it just makes me very upset about what happened.

 

I recommend you guys to learn more about this. You WON'T BELIEVE what they did.

[Dave G.]

Unit 731. About 20 minutes outside of Harbin (Northeast....100 km from Russian border). Beautifully done museum....horrible displays to review. They have a lot of documentation but it was all in Chinese. No good for me.

 

If you take that trip, be warned. Winter is bitter cold....-25 F at night. It's worth it, tho, if you go at the same time of the Lantern Festival. Lifesize renditions of buildings constructed in block ice. Oh, those Chinese....what they can do is amazing.

[whoever]

There will be translations soon. The Chinese is becoming aware of this. The world must know the truth.

[chinadave2001]

Unit 731. About 20 minutes outside of Harbin (Northeast....100 km from Russian border).  Beautifully done museum....horrible displays to review.  They have a lot of documentation but it was all in Chinese.  No good for me.

 

If you take that trip, be warned.  Winter is bitter cold....-25 F at night.  It's worth it, tho, if you go at the same time of the Lantern Festival.  Lifesize renditions of buildings constructed in block ice. Oh, those Chinese....what they can do is amazing.

No problem. Lived for two years in Russia. They have real winters there....

Also not too far from Qingdao where Sarah's family lives and we spend most of our free time....

Dave

[king]

I believe there is a museum in Mass or Conn that has a lot of historical material on China. Sorry I don't remember the name. You also might try asking Prof Jonathan Spence at Harvard, a China scholar or the China/ east asian department at Yale. Yale has a long history of connection with education in China.

[SBS]

http://news.tom.com/2915/2003918-420369.html

 

It will be great if you can read Chinese. Here is an interview of this old man who was caught and worked as a slave in Japan during War II

 

Also there are a lot old photos and articles were put on websites. like this one which is in English. I posted before not sure if you see it or not

 

http://www.china918.net/en/index_en.htm

 

http://www.china918.net/91802/njpic/index.htm

[garagegodness]

Dave,thank you for putting this on for us. Although it was all history, we could never forget what Japan did to chinese people in the world war II. It is a shame such a small country like Japan invaded all the way into China and raped her. Our goverment did not take the official compensation from Japan ; Japan went up all the way after the war in its construction and economy without having to compensate a cent for its military crime yet China was far behind. And now it does not even admit the crime, on the hand expanding its military expenses; getting involved in Iraq affairs...

 

But all my collegues that have been to Japan say that country is small, clean and very organized. That nation has many good points we should learn from. Hardworking, dilligent and unity. I wonder had it not been the initial war in China between China communist party and Guomindang Party back in the 30s, would Japan ever have had the chance to invade China? Unity, the spirit of a nation.

 

On the occasion of my homeland's 54th birthday, I wish the world peace and dignity.

[SBS]

On the occasion of my homeland's 54th birthday, I wish the world peace and dignity.

Shall we sing a Happy Birthday Song to our homeland at that day http://www.yabbas.com/forum/images/smilies/rock_band.gif

[Guest meilun]

There is a book on Unit 731 that one of my professors used in a college class that I took:

 

"Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare, 1932-45, and the American Cover-up" by Sheldon H. Harris

 

Hope this helps!

[chinadave2001]

Thank you everybody. I have noted your suggestions. As many of you have suggested, this is often overlooked in American curriculums. There are several reasons for this:

1. There is a lack of lessons/information available to teachers.

2. The Chinese community has not ben very vocal in demanding that it be taught.

My hope is that I can develop some lessons which can then later be shared at teacher conventions/conferences, etc.

I do believe that there is a growing interest in this.

dave

[whoever]

The Chinese are going to do more of these exhibits about the invasion. I hope more people in the world could know the truth.

 

The Japanese not only slaughtered tens of thousands Chinese, they also looted a lot of money from the Chinese. This is one of the reasons that they recovered from the war so quickly, and became the world's leading economy.