A screening of a Chinese historical film titled "Dead to Rights," which depicts the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, has left a strong impression on Chinese and Japanese viewers here, sparking reflections on the brutality of war and its lessons for today.
The event, hosted on Wednesday by the Chinese Embassy in Japan, drew an audience of about 150 people from both Chinese and Japanese communities, who called on the people of both countries to learn from history and look to the future.
Tamiko Kanzaki, a former translator for Japan's national broadcaster NHK, said the content of "Dead to Rights" is heavyhearted. Japanese society is often willing to talk about victimhood, but finds it difficult to discuss the atrocities committed by Japan during wartime.
"If we completely forget the history of perpetrators, there can be no true friendship between Japan and China. We must never forget that history. Only in this way can the two countries truly move forward together," Kanzaki said.
Japanese military journalist and former Self-Defense Force member Makoto Konishi said he felt pain after watching the film, noting the pain stemmed not only from learning the truth about the Nanjing Massacre, but also from the difficulty of openly writing about such facts in Japan today. He expressed strong concern about Japan's current efforts to intensify military deployments in specific areas.
Masayuki Inoue, vice chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association of Tokyo, said that to truly advance Japan-China relations, young people must understand history and strengthen dialogue and exchange. "We should enable young people to have a better understanding of history before watching the film, and create opportunities for discussion afterwards to dispel emotions and jointly reflect on the future of our two countries."
Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao stated that history is the best textbook and the best sobering agent.
"If we avoid it or even deny it, we will never be truly enlightened and cannot achieve inner reconciliation. We are willing to work with insightful people from all walks of life in Japan to learn from history, look to the future, and never let the tragedy of history repeat itself," he said.
(Source: Xinhua)
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