Shomen

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What is in the heart of the Warrior?

The old saying goes

“A fool trains so that he may cut, a wise man trains so that he will not have to”

I open with this because it is a simple statement of truth that is often glossed over and not given due credence. This webpage has been put together for the purposes informing and enlightening those curious about Japanese sword arts. In America, there has been a recent surge in interest in this particular branch of martial art. As with most populations, understanding things outside our own culture can be a challenge. The Japanese language alone is a complex thing shaded with nuance and gender form that we simply do not have in our culture. The written Japanese language is a beautiful thing, the act of writing has developed spiritual and metaphysical overtones that can be appreciated as “shodo” and is appreciable in any culture as a work of art unto itself.

For many of us in the martial arts, the Japanese are a beautiful people that are well revered for the many great thinkers and martial arts practitioners that have given us here in America, a system of thought to anchor our lives to. To some of us, martial arts are close to religion. In short, it is important to point out here that a great deal of respect and admiration exists in this writer’s heart for the Japanese. It is with this thought that I will proceed with my argument, and offer you the reader a view that is hopefully balanced.

If you are able to completely explore this website, when you are finished, I encourage you to do your own research and draw your own conclusions. My own views may be regarded by some as extreme, indeed in this I will not blink or pull any punches because this is an issue that must be dealt with now. In classic samurai fashion, I will not avoid this problem, but rather run right up to it and head-but it. Since most people that are interested in learning a Japanese sword art are going to look on the web first, I have decided to battle here. With any luck, those interested in studying the old ways will have an easy time understanding the difference between the machinery of murder and the closely related, but truly opposite Way of any Warrior art.












TOYAMA RYU OR NAKAMURA RYU BATTO STYLES ARE THE DIRECT OFFSPRING OF THE WAR CRIMINALS OF IMPERIAL JAPAN OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

To be a war criminal, one must act in a dishonorable, perverted, murderous fashion towards UNARMED NON-COMBATANTS or ALREADY DEFEATED and/or captured enemy soldiers. I doubt anyone can deny this. Anyone. There are always Atrocities in every war by every side. The military conduct codes we have in our country are specifically written to address this. In my own European heritage, Chivalry was the first code. All cultures have developed some kind of warrior code. Japan did as well. The thing I hope to address has to do with scale and general disregard for human life. In my own warrior’s heart I have no quarter for anyone who harms the weakest members of our society. Children are always the victims that fare the worst in these types of events. In the following exploration, there will be photographs of the described events. Some will include children…personally; I found this to be the most damning thing about the imperial army of Japan. The batto styles of the imperial army became the sport of devils in a defeated land.
Perpetuation Toyama Ryu and Nakamura Ryu, as well as Muso Shinden Ryu; shits on the memory of those that suffered under the Japanese Imperial Army. There is Simply no other way to put it.

Below is a copy of an interview conducted with the late Nakamura Taizaburo. It is not the intention of this private webpage to offend or incite an argument that will not bear fruit. Rather it is intended to get you to think. Any comments or questions that anyone practicing one of these arts may have, are free to keep them to themselves and mull it over. Introspection is what is required for the hardest steps of personal development.

Once I saw a pamphlet about Toyama Ryu. One of the things it professed was that this system was “devoid” of any “useless” techniques. Being a practitioner of a Ko-Ryu methodology, I found this rather inflammatory. Most Ko-Ryu, if not all, focus much on the facing of an armed opponent, most of the time the opponent is equally armed. Sometimes the opponent is better armed. This is an important distinction because it is a scenario that does not truly manifest itself in a system like Toyama or Nakamura Ryu. These systems really are only focused on cutting. With an older, wiser methodology of a Ko-Ryu, the main point of the training is to hone the mind. Thus, at some point, the weapon itself becomes not so important. This is a view that was developed through the teachings of Zen. You can explore this directly on your own, you are not encouraged to take my word for it. Your own exploration is far more important than anything I could tell you or show you. It is easy for the modern practitioner to whitewash the true reason for the existence of Toyama and Nakamura systems. Look at the techniques and judge for yourself. If your “opponent” becomes a “target” and that “target is blindfolded and tied up…it is obvious that, to quote Nakamura, “More than one step is unnecessary…”

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Thoughts on Iaido
by Nakamura Taizaburo with Guy H. Power & Takako Funaya
This is a translation of an article appearing in the 25 March 1988 issue of Nippon Budo Monthly. (1) - indicates footnotes.
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I am not surprised that iaido has become remarkably spread and developed after World War II. Until the end of World War Two Japan's national identity was expressed through the Three Sacred Treasures--the mirror, the jewel, and the sword. The sword represents the spirit of the warrior to we Japanese; therefore, it is only natural to me that today there is an upsurge in the spirit of the Japanese Sword. This new popularity tells me that iaido has naturally spread among the Japanese. Before the war, not many people studied iaido even though they may have owned numerous swords. Those people had only owned swords simply because they were entitled to do so. In fact, kendo practicioners would say, "Studying iaido will prevent you from improving in kendo.' This attitude is attributed to the fact that iaido is composed mainly of kneeling techniques. In this sense, iaido has no relation to kendo, which contributed to iaido's not having been spread as widely as kendo in those days.

Until the end of the war sword techniques and forms were prohibited from being shown even to the parents and brothers of a practicioner; this way, the techniques could be transmitted only to the direct students of certain styles. However, one style made exception to this policy--Jigen Ryu. The techniques of this style were instructed to anybody within the Satsuma Clan of southern Japan. In most styles, techniques were transmitted only to those who were inducted into a dojo. It is typical that documentation regarding the densho (transmitted writings from generation to generation) of those schools did not include any exact methods of showing detailed descriptions in order to keep techniques secret.

For instance, the Omori Ryu's densho reads very much like the table of contents in a book. Only the names of techniques are mentioned, such as "front", "left, "right", "rear", "multi-layered hedges", etc. The one from Eishin Ryu uses such names as "side cloud", "first step of the tiger", "lightning", "floating cloud", etc. The techniques these terms describe are impossible to understand unless explained by the practicioners of these styles, although nowadays techniques and forms are fully explained by text and photographs in books circulated on the market. The other day I had the opportunity to talk with a certain martial arts expert. He stated that even in today's society, "...the prearranged forms of budo technique should not be revealed to others, but kept only to yourself for your discipline." He still carries through with his convictions. I was so impressed, thinking of the disparity between the present day and the olden times.

After the war I had the distinct honor on three occasions to meet sensei Nakayama Hakudo(1). He was from Ishikawa prefecture and told me that in the year of Taisho five (1917), he traveled to Tosa in Kochi prefecture to ask the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu headmaster for permission to receive instruction, only to be refused entry simply because "he is from other prefectures."

However, later in his life they decided to initiate him into the teaching, allowing him to present a petition on the condition that he not teach what he learned. The situation surrounding the transmission of teachings was like this even during the Taisho period (1912-1925). In short, without trying to find fault with old techniques, the predecessors of the old tradition of sword techniques (koryu toho) should preserve the techniques as nontangible cultural assets. The successors are, in my opinion, responsible for passing the tradition of techniques to the next generation.

Given such situations, once in a while I see strange, "fishy" forms and techniques of some styles during martial arts demonstrations and tournaments, causing me to call their effectiveness into question.(2) Before the Pacific war, around the time of the Manchu Incident (1931) which brought Japan into the China war, sensei Takayama Masayoshi, a Japanese Imperial Navy kenjutsu master-teacher, maintained that one cannot kill people with a sword using only kendo training. He withdrew from the Butokukai(3) to go to China where he experienced actual battlefield sword techniques.

After his return to Japan he codified these techniques, named the style Jissen Budo Takayama Ryu Batto Jutsu, and taught it at the Imperial Naval Academy; eventually he had the chance to teach Prince Takamatsu-no-Miya. Because of his sword testing in China(4) Takayama sensei was later classified as a war criminal and was sentenced to twenty five years confinement in the mountains of Oita prefecture. Later I was able to exchange ideas with Takayama sensei which was significant in my establishing Nakamura Ryu Happo Giri.(5) In relation to this exchange, three parties of the Butokukai belonging to the Army and Navy created logical(6) systems of standing sword techniques based on their battlefield experiences and extant old-school sword techniques.

Although the three fencing instructors could not bring their systems into uniformity in terms of prearranged forms, they taught their combat effective standing techniques until the end of the war. However, after the war they reverted to old-school sword techniques, belittling the teaching called "Shu Ha Ri".(7) I cannot help but to feel regrettful for the iaido prearranged forms training of the old-schools. Needless to say, I am under the impression that these old-school sword techniques seek development in artistic aspects. In my view, there are distinct differences between kendo and iaido, regardless of whatever logical argument each may make, including the theory expressed in the maxim "Kendo-Iaido, One Body". Marking the new Heisei dynasty (1989), and in celebration of my "Kijyu" (77th birthday), I decided to consolidate my long harbored views about Japanese sword techniques into the following 20 sections. I am afraid that the article might include some overlapping ideas and sentences due to my shallow knowledge; however, I ask the reader to allow me to be bold enough to present my observations.
1. I suppose it cannot be helped that the "art" theory has become popular these days, merging together with kendo. The martial ways are different from sports in that they involve situations where a clear distinction is made between life and death. Comparitively speaking, hasn't iaido become an "artistic" sport?
2. The similarity alluded to in the maxim "Kendo-Iaido, One Body" is theoretical. Technically speaking, sport kendo and the kneeling techniques of iaido must be considered as separate entities. I do not think there are any matching techniques between the two.
3. Iai is sword-technique art, and is said to be sword dancing. Because people outside Japan do not sit on their knees, it is physically difficult for non Japanese to study iai.
4. There is no possible reason for sitting erect on the knees while wearing a long sword, although it is correct to wear the short sword thus. When entering any building it was always proper to remove the long sword from the wearer's sash while at the foyer. Drawing the long sword while in the formal kneeling position is wrong in terms of etiquette and sword technique.
5. "Shohatto"(8) employs a movement from the formal kneeling position in which the practicioner steps forward in one move by completely raising the right foot, in a stomping manner, while simultaneously making a horizontal cut to the front; the left knee maintains contact with the ground. Because of having only one point of balance, and due to the strong force generated in

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actually cutting through an object, the practicioner can lose balance and fall down. Instead, the practicioner should glide forward by sliding the foot close to the ground.
6. When stepping forward while unsheathing the sword from the kneeling position, your stride is automatically two steps--this is technically not desirable. More than one step is unnecessary.
7. Omori Ryu has ten kneeling forms and only one standing form. Within these forms, all have downward vertical cuts; however, none employ a right or left diagonal cut. For this reason, I think this style lacks research on its techniques.
8. Omori Ryu has a technique in which you pivot your body to the left from the kneeling position while making a horizontal cut. I am doubtful as to the effectiveness of this technique; however, shifting the body to the rear or right is fine.(9)
9. In 1951 I performed Omori Ryu forms within the earthern entranceway of the country house of a well known Omori Ryu teacher. Since this was on the bare earth I decided to adapt the kneeling techniques to standing techniques so as not to dirty my clothes. After finishing, the teacher looked extremely disturbed and said, "that is not Omori Ryu!" These types of people are inflexible, obsessively sticking to the old ways. As such, they are incapable of thinking of practical applications for their techniques.
10. Modern iaido incorporates breathing methods into its techniques; such as, "in front of your enemy take two breaths, on the third, hold your breath". I wonder from what style this descends--this sword method really makes me call modern iaido into question.
11. One old-school rendition of the technique called "nukiuchi" calls for the blade to be silently and slowly drawn until only about three inches remain in the scabbard.(10) The practicioner then quickly slashs away in one motion to strike the target. I believe this is an "artistic" sword technique.
12. Attacking with the pommel of the sword's handle is illogical; manipulating an enemy with the tsuka (handle) is nothing but a contrived artifice.
13. In the old-school styles there are no withdrawing techniques after a thrust has been executed. Hikinuki, the disengagement of the sword after the thrust, is technically the Zanshin(11) regardless of whether it is in spear techniques or bayonet fighting.
14. There are techniques in which the palm of the left hand is placed along the back ridge of the blade. These are ineffective and are a waste of time.(12)
15. The sword's angle of attack and arc path are not discussed in the old-school styles. Based on my own test cutting experience, I feel that these are important in swordsmanship and must be studied.
16. Regardless of which art you are involved in, be it iaido or kendo, unless you experience cutting with a real sword, you will never begin to taste true sword technique.
17. In Japan iaido has been refered to as "iai-nuki". I dislike this usage since it was a term used among street performers after wearing the sword was abolished. It gives a bad connotation to iaido.
18. Most old-school styles do not know how to bring a sword cut to a halt without the blade wavering or trembling. The stopping action should be executed precisely and crisply.
19. In terms of sword techniques, uke-nagashi (to parry and deflect an overhead blow) is acceptable; however, uke-tome (block and stop) is fatal.
20. The correct name for iai-do is "batto-do". In the Muromachi period (1392-1572) the term "batto-jutsu" was used; it was only from the middle of the Edo period (1730s) that "iai-jutsu" began to be used. The correct naming of iaido is a separate issue to be addressed; I earnestly desire the adoption of either "iai batto-do" or "batto-do" as the official name.
In response to the above musings and from my research in test cutting over the years, I developed a logical system of sword techniques in 1952 which I call "Nakamura Ryu Battodo". The genesis of my system is based on a hint I received from the basics of calligraphy called "eiji happo"---the eight rules for writing the Chinese character "eternal".(13) My teaching is composed of the "Eight Fighting Postures", the "Eight Methods of Cutting", the "Eight Methods of Resheathing", and contains eight forms. This is a logical system based on my in-depth analysis of various swordsmanship forms, as well as research I conducted in actual test cutting; neither are enough, alone, to create combat effective techniques. I expect that I will receive criticism in my above reflections from iaido and kendo lovers, as well as from seniors, masters, and headmasters.
"The Japanese sword is the spirit of Japan. The Life-giving Sword trains and polishes Self; the road to cultivating yourself and self-discipline."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Nakamura Taizaburo, now 83, was born in 1912 in Yamagata prefecture. He began his study of kendo at the age of 15; when he joined the Imperial Army in 1932 he was already 3rd dan in both kendo and judo. After teaching kendo to the officers and noncommissioned officers of his regiment, Nakamura sensei was assigned to a boy's military academy as a fencing instructor; during this time he also studied Omori Ryu iaido. Later, Nakamura sensei was selected to attend the Army Toyama Academy where he became an instructor of actual-combat swordsmanship, bayonet, and knife fighting. He was dispatched to Manchuria as a "special fencing teacher" and instructed members of the select Yamashita Special Attack Force. During the final days of the war he further conducted research in test cutting by attempting to cut through the necks of five bulls, which were then butchered and fed to the regiment. Nakamura Sensei was the driving force in renovating the Hayashizaki Shrine, the only shrine in Japan dedicated to iai-battodo.

He also kept alive the tradition of the Toyama Academy by founding the All Japan Toyama Ryu Iaido Federation. Since that time he has been the Senior Master of Toyama Ryu. In 1952 he founded the Nakamura Ryu and has been involved in swordsmanship until this day. Nakamura Sensei resides in Tsurumi, Yokohama where he presides over the International Iai-Battodo Federation and teaches battodo for the Kaku Sei Kai. His titles and degrees are as follows:
Soke (Headmaster): Nakamura Ryu Batto-do (Happo-giri). So-Shihan (Senior Master): All Japan Toyama Ryu Federation. Battodo: Hanshi10th dan (International Martial Arts Federation). Kendo: Hanshi 8th dan (IMAF). Kendo: Kyoshi 7th dan (All Japan Kendo Federation). Jukendo (bayonet): Hanshi 8th dan (All Japan Jukendo Federation). Tankendo (short sword): hanshi 8th dan (AJJF). Kyudo (archery): 4th dan (All Japan Kyudo Federation). Judo: 3rd dan (the pre-war Judo Association). Calligraphy: Hanshi. President: International Iai-Battodo Federation. Senior Advisor: All Japan Battodo Federation. Senior Authority: Butokukai (Battodo section).
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR. Guy H. Power, renshi sixth dan, has studied Toyama Ryu battodo since 1983. From 1990 to1994 he was stationed in Japan where he studied both Toyama Ryu and Nakamura Ryu iai-battodo under Nakamura Sensei; he also studied Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu iai-do for two years during his stay in Japan. Mr. Power was named by the International Iai-Battodo Federation as their official representative for the United States and awarded him their kanban (a traditional teaching license printed on a wooden board) authorizing him to teach both

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ryu, calligraphed by Nakamura sensei. He is believed to be the only non-Japanese to receive a martial art kanban.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR. Takako Funaya received her Master of Arts degree in Translation from the Monterey Institute of Inter- national Studies in California. She is currently an in-house translator for Fuji-Xerox, Japan.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Nakayama Hakudo (1869-1958). 16th headmaster of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (Shimomura branch); founder of Muso Shinden Ryu; kendo, iaido, and jodo master; fencing master to the Emperor's Guard until the end of WWII. He is conceiveably the most famous sword master of the twentieth century.
2. Many of the forms have been taught in a vacuum and have lost their original meaning, or have been subjected to unintentional reinterpretation, others have been contrived during the luxury of civil peace without the benefit of combat experience; consequently, the original technique has become ineffective, but taught as viable.
3. The Dai Nippon Butokukai (Greater Japan Martial Virtues Association) has been the premier governing body of selected martial arts since 1895. Its headquarters, the Butokuden in Kyoto, is still used today as a martial arts training hall.
4. After the war Takayama Masayoshi was classified as a Class B war criminal for killing 10 Chinese prisoners of war with his sword. His style's name is translated as "Actual Combat Martial Ways, Takayama's Style of Sword Drawing Techniques."
5. Nakamura Style, Eight Direction Cut.
6. The Japanese word for logic means a scientific investigation of governing principles which leads to a correct or reliable conclusion. In the English vernacular we use "logic" to mean a 'reasonable expectationÕ.
7. "Shu Ha Ri". Observe (the old without straying), Break (strict observation and adapt different teachings), Leave (advancing beyond both former stages).
8. "Shohatto" (First Presentation of the Sword) is the basic sword technique common to most old-schools. As taught and practiced, the blade would strike the target while the right foot is still high in the air. This results in only the left knee remaining in contact with the ground at the time of impact.
9. Although capable enough of inflicting a wound, not enough force is generated during a left pivot to succesfully cut through a target.
10. The author feels this method is ineffective because not enough force is generated from a slow draw to allow a proper cut.
11. Zanshin (remaining spirit) is the final stage of an omnidirectional all-encompassing alertness. It is cultivated from intensive training and is displayed in a combative engagement stance, usually the finale of a form.
12. And dangerous. A case in point is that of Lieutenant Colonel Aizawa who cut his fingers employing this type of technique. Aizawa once had been a kenjutsu teacher at the former Army Toyama Academy and was an expert in kendo and bayonet fencing. In 1935, using his western model service saber, he assassinated the head of the Military Affairs Bureau, Major General Nagata (this action preceeded the February 26 Revolt of1936). After failing to kill the general with three cuts, Aizawa placed his left palm on the back of his sword at the mid point, assumed a bayonet fencing "half-right stance" and thrust strongly with his right hand, skewering the general completely through from back to front. This technique is very similar to the All Japan Iaido Federation's fifth form called "kissaki kaeshi" and Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu's "Iwanami". Aizawa cut all four fingers of his left hand to the bone. He later stated, "As a Toyama Academy fencing instructor, I was disappointed and embarassed that I was unable to cleave the general in two with one stroke."
13. Eiji Happo, "the eight rules for writing the Chinese ideograph Ei (eternal)". The foundation of calligraphy, the "eight rules" specify how to draw the dot and the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal strokes; therefore, in being able to write one basic ideograph, the calligrapher can write tens of thousands of ideographs. These eight calligraphic strokes approximate "Happo Giri", the Eight Directional Cuts: thrust, left and right horizontal, vertical, left and right downward diagonal, and left and right upward diagonal cuts. All other cuts are but variations of these primary techniques. In assiduously practicing Happo Giri, the swordsman can truly become a master.
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This article will seem less benign once we look at a small portion of the events in NANKING, China (now known as NanJing). As Mr. Nakamura pointed out, he was in China. It would be hard to imagine that someone with such a deep interest in cutting for cutting’s sake would not use his sword in the proscribed manner of his style. Also that he willingly and respectfully conferred with a CONVICTED WAR CRIMINAL speaks volumes.

For Toyama Ryu, cutting is done for reasons other than battle against an equally armed opponent. For officers that graduated from the Toyama military academy, it was one way that was used to exercise control over the men that were in the units they had command of. It was also a method to frighten and oppress the population of the nation they occupied.

With most KoRyu (old style sword schools) The techniques were mainly focused on application AGAINST SOMEONE ARMED WITH A KATANA! Or, in some cases a spear or other weapon. With Toyama Ryu, Nakamura Ryu, the “opponent” was a blindfolded, tied up, defeated individual that was sometimes not even an adult capable of combat.

The following is a group of photographs from the invasion of the city now known as Nanjing, China. The assault of the city and the subsequent defeat of it’s army is not a point to question. Warfare has it’s role in human events. It is what happened after, during the occupation that is the atrocity. These people were already defeated, already subdued…This is where it got dark. This is where the methods of the imperial army show themselves for what they are.




Bodies…



Killing…



More of the same…



Officers with swords…



Notice the tied up hands of the corpse.



Unarmed…



Display…




More display….



Tied, Blindfolded Children.

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Toyama Ryu, Nakamura Ryu…War Crime.
Do not perpetuate the evils of the past. Do not whitewash the facts to make yourself feel better. This is not conjecture, this is truth.










Source: Genocides and Human Rights Abuses, http://www.gotrain.com/dan/rights.htm
Everyone knows about the Nazi Holocaust, but very few know about the genocide of 13 million civilians during the Japanese occupation of China. The climax of this horror was the Nanking Massacre, the focus of this article. On December 13, 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army stormed the Chinese city of Nanking, and during the following six weeks, 300,000 people were killed and over 20,000 women were raped. Nanking's kill frequency exceeds that of the Nazi Holocaust, and most frighteningly, was not at all systematic in execution. It was pure barbaric hell rage. During the many decades to follow, Japan denied that the massacre ever occurred, and erased it from Japanese libraries and textbooks. It was not until the year 2000 that a Japanese official admitted the massacre's occurrence.
There were many events leading up to the invasion of Nanking. During the Japanese conquests of World War II, they invaded China in 1931. They wreaked havoc wherever they went, murdering millions of Chinese people. First, Japan invaded Manchuria. As Japanese soldiers advanced west through China, they used germ warfare, spreading typhoid fever and the bubonic plague. During their occupation of China, the Japanese killed at least fifteen million Chinese soldiers and civilians.
During the nineteen-twenties, Nanking only had a population of 250,000. However, during the nineteen-thirties, the city was highly populated with over one million residents. This increase was a result of the Japanese occupation and countless refugees fleeing to the city from Manchuria and other Chinese areas to the east of Nanking. They were safe in the city, until Japanese forces advanced towards Nanking from Shanghai on November 11, 1937.
Before the Japanese army attacked on foot, they made many bombings over Nanking. Most of these bombings were focused on the wealthier and more populated areas of the city. On September 25, 1937, the most devastating bombing occurred. There were over six hundred civilian casualties. Hospitals marked with a red cross on the roof were targeted, as well as refugee camps, power plants, water works, and radio stations. As a reaction to these bombings and advancing forces, political figures from The United States and The United Kingdom assembled an "International Committee." The committee set up "Safety Zones" inside the city, where refugees could stay.
On November 25, Japanese forces attacked Nanking from three different directions. The Chinese General Tang Sheng Zhi commanded an army of over a hundred thousand men. However, the Chinese city soon fell to the Japanese Imperial Army. As the Japanese entered the city, a massacre began that would continue for six weeks.
ATROCITIES
Images (warning, slightly gruesome):
• chinese civilian about to be beheaded
• heads hung on a string for display
• japanese soldier holding a head
• rape victims
• map of japanese death factories
During the six weeks of the Nanking Massacre, the Chinese were not simply murdered. They were tortured, humiliated, and raped. The Japanese used a wide variety of methods of murder. They chased the Chinese into the Yangtze River with machine guns, drowning them. They poured gasoline on people, and shot them, so the victims flickered up like candles. They cut the eyeballs out of men, and then burned the people while they were still living. They tied Chinese civilians up on posts, and threw grenades to watch their flesh fly. A Japanese general poured acid on a man until he died of corrosion. Some Chinese were attacked with awls. Others were castrated. Some Chinese even had their hearts cut out. Some women were beaten at the vagina with fists and other objects until they died. Even babies were victims; they were skewered and tossed into boiling water. Hakudo Nagatomi, a Japanese war veteran, described, "I remember smiling proudly as I took his [another general's] sword and began killing people...The head was cut clean off and tumbled away on the ground as the body slumped forward, blood spurting in two great gushing fountains from the neck."
Japanese soldiers laughingly made games out of these atrocities. The Japanese generals organized contests to see how many Chinese one soldier could murder in a given time. Whoever killed the most won. News reporters and visitors came to observe the competitions and raise praise for the victor back in Japan. Sometimes the number of bodies reached as high as five-hundred in a single contest. In one such contest, two officers were racing to one hundred. However, they lost count, so they continued to one hundred and fifty. A short while later, the Nichi-nichi, a Tokyo newspaper, printed the story with pride. Highly respected Japanese doctors and scientists went to China to do scientific research on unwilling Chinese victims. In many cases, the subjects were American and Russian prisoners. Tests were done without anesthesia or pain killers. The Japanese placed people in pressure chambers to see how long it would take until their eyes popped out of the sockets. Lethal bacteria and other biological weapons were tested on people tied to stakes. Fetuses were cut from pregnant women and preserved in jars. The Japanese government also sponsored bombings of bubonic plague on villages to test germ warfare for later use on the United States.
Because over twenty thousand women and girls were raped, the Nanking Massacre is also referred to as the Rape of Nanking. The Japanese officers encouraged their soldiers to rape wherever they went. One officer told his soldiers, "To avoid troubles,... kill them after that." So, soldiers raped in gangs of dozens and murdered the women afterward. The victims had their stomachs cut open or their breasts chopped off. "Comfort women" were kept as sex slaves in wood cabins to service the Japanese soldiers throughout the day. In one incident, a mother, two teenage daughters, and a one year old baby were raped in their own home. The family was raped and killed on their own tables and beds. When the International Committee entered the house to photograph the incident, they found blood everywhere.
The Japanese finally left China when the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the six weeks of horror, Nanking was left in ruins. The storehouses were empty, and the civilians had lost everything. Their jewelry, coins, food, clothes, heirlooms, pets, and even everyday objects like dental floss were stolen. Only bodies were in abundance. So many dead bodies clogged the streets it was hard to move around, even on foot. They floated in the river for a year afterwards, emitting a smell for miles around. The International Committee buried the bodies in mass graves and kept close count of the marked sites.
TRIALS
Years after the massacre, criminal trials were held. Japanese that were not class A criminals were tried near the homes of their victims. However, the class A war criminals were tried at the Tokyo Trials in Tokyo. These trials were held by the IMTFE (International Military Tribunal for the Far East) and lasted from May 1946 till November 1948. The prosecuting team consisted of justices from eleven countries, including China and the United States.
Twenty-eight men were prosecuted for, "...mass murder, rape, pillage, brigandage, torture and other barbaric cruelties upon the helpless civilian population..." Eye-witnesses gave testimonies of the atrocities. Of the twenty-eight men, twenty-five were found guilty. Of the other three, two died during the trials, and one had a mental breakdown. This man was later released free from the psychiatric hospital. Seven criminals were put to death by hanging, sixteen were sentenced to life imprisonment, and two had lesser sentences. However, all the criminals were let out on parole after eight years.
Although Japanese criminals were charged and convicted, many Japanese citizens slowly developed a denial of the Massacre. During the war, because of the heavy Japanese control over the media, few Japanese civilians knew about the horrible atrocities. They heard only about the heroic war figures. The facts released during the Tokyo War Trials shocked the Japanese public. Many books were written on the subject. These include a major work by Katsuichi Honda, The Journey to China, a collection of interviews with survivors. At that time, there was no public government denial of the massacre, but there was not any official public acceptance of responsibility either.
DENIAL
From the 1970's until 1990, Japan officially began to lie about the Nanking Massacre. Right wing politicians created three types of denial when they came to power in 1972: they distorted the facts, disputed the extent of the Massacre, and

[shomen]

even denied the events completely. The Japan Ministry of Education headed the attempts to distort and rewrite the history books. Certain words were replaced, such as "aggression" with "advancing." The entire massacre was re-labeled a "minor incident," or the "Nanking Incident." The Japanese history books even claimed that the massacre occurred because Japanese soldiers were frustrated with the strength of the Chinese army.
During this period, some Japanese citizens came to believe the massacre had been a great exaggeration. The book, Nanking Incident, by Hata Ikuhiko claims that there were only 38,000 to 42,000 victims, whereas most sources state there were over 300,000 victims. This text is considered the text for history classes on the issue by the Japan Ministry of Education.
Perhaps the most outrageous claim was of an absolute denial of the atrocity. The Journey to China sparked the publication of two articles, "Reply to Katsuichi Honda," and "The Phantom of the Nanking Massacre," both declaring that the massacre never happened. They were printed in the March and April edition of Every Gentlemen. In addition, the book, "Fabrication of Nanking Massacre," by Massaki Tanaka, also denied the massacre and blamed the Chinese for the war.
In 1990, Japanese government officials formally denied the Nanking Massacre by stating that it was a lie. On November 10, 1990, the deputy Japanese Consul in Houston told Americans that according to Japanese sources, the massacre never occurred. Shintaro Ishihara, a Japanese writer and politician, was quoted by Playboy, "People say that the Japanese made a holocaust there, but that is not true. It is a story made up by the Chinese." This treatment of the Massacre continued for five more years.
On August fifteenth, 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of the Massacre, the Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama gave the first clear and formal apology for the Japanese actions during the war. He apologized for the wrongful aggression and the great suffering in Asia. He offered his "heartfelt" apology to all survivors and to the relatives and friends of the victims. That day, the prime minister and the Japanese Emperor Akihito pronounced statements of mourning at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan. The emperor offered his condolences and hopes that the atrocities of such a war will never be repeated.
Chinese people are beginning to accept Japan's formal apologies and they believe the apologies are a step in the right direction. However, the Chinese are still afraid and suspicious of the Japanese, and await concrete compensations. In the past, they have not made much a fuss over the Massacre. They have been too humiliated and ashamed of the events, and, perhaps, were more interested in future economic prosperity than their gruesome past. Daniel Kwan, who put together a Los Angeles photography exhibit on the Massacre, claimed the Chinese are too involved with, "a desire to focus on making money to pay for their Rolexes and Mercedes, rather than something so unpleasant."
Other countries from around the world also have suspicions of the Japanese apologies. Some British and Australian veterans accuse Murayama of making the apologies too personal and telling only his feelings. They claim the apologies are meaningless and cloudy, and that they are not directly from the nation of Japan. They will only be satisfied after compensations are paid. Until now, America has been fairly quiet.
As a result of both the dying witnesses and the fiftieth anniversary of the Massacre, there have been many efforts to raise awareness of the Nanking Massacre around the world. However, it is extremely difficult for the older generation of Chinese who lived through the massacre to teach others about it. They are trying very hard to put their past behind them, and telling about the horrible events is painful to them. The also do not want to tell children about the atrocities, as the horrid facts may hurt the children or give them wrong ideas about the Japanese. However, there are other individuals from all over the world who are concerned about the awareness in future generations and are trying to bring out the truth.
This small minority is trying to teach those who received a warped education in the Japanese schools. A video has been released to teach Japanese youth. Three army officials were recorded, speaking about the brutalities. Even though the video was broadcasted on national television, this attempt met with little success.
A memorial hall has been erected in Nanking in remembrance of the victims and to raise awareness of the Nanking Massacre. Built in the 1980's, it is located near a site where thousands of bodies were buried, called a "pit of ten thousand corpses," or "wan ren keng."
AFTERMATH
Although there are some efforts in Japan and China to raise awareness of the massacre, more have been made by Americans. In Los Angeles, Daniel Kwan opened a photograph exhibit, "The Forgotten Holocaust," in 1995. Organizers had many pictures, some so gruesome, they had to be left out. It is ironic that these pictures were taken by Japanese soldiers as souvenirs.
Chinese-Americans, particularly those among the large Chinese community in Silicon Valley, are also attempting to educate the American public about the Nanking Massacre. Eugene Wei from San Jose, a member of an Alliance for the cause, said, "The cause is taking off like wildfire. The Chinese are really waking up." However, David Bolt, an American filmmaker, stresses the importance of non-Chinese people to inform the public about the event, so that the historical truths are not labeled as Chinese propaganda.
The six weeks of horror in Nanking are still inexplicable. Nobody can find a concrete reason for the occurrence of the atrocities. The massacre was not an organized debacle like the Nazi Holocaust. Some historians and Japanese veterans suggest that it was an outlet of frustration for the Japanese soldiers, or that it was an attempt by the soldiers to show their loyalty to the Emperor. Whatever the reasons are, the effects of the massacre have clearly been long lasting. Today, the few surviving victims feel guilty. They feel guilty that they survived the Holocaust of Nanking, and so many others perished.

[ScottUK]

Post your name, fella. E-Budo rules.

[chrismoses]

And start a blog if you just want to rant. Anyone can ctrl+x ctrl+v, offer something or post a link.

[pgsmith]

Wow! Did I hear someone say WAAAAAAH!!!
Was there really any reason for that long and drawn out whine?

Maybe we need to call him a wambulance.

[shomen]

Mr Smith-
Does your mother know that you are practicing an art that perpetuates a war crime?

[twayman]

Mr Smith-
Does your mother know that you are practicing an art that perpetuates a war crime?

I hope my mommy does not find out...

P.S>. Post your name.

[Kusarigama]

Mr Smith-
Does your mother know that you are practicing an art that perpetuates a war crime?

Only a coward hides behind a User name. Either put your "real name" up or the Administrators will send you to "E-Budo Hell".

I vote that his journey to the Underworld starts NOW!

Britt Nichols

[Kusarigama]

Mr Smith-
Does your mother know that you are practicing an art that perpetuates a war crime?

His profile indicates he joined today and his real name is "Paul Smith".

I guess he just does not like Paul.

Britt Nichols

[pgsmith]

Does your mother know that you are practicing an art that perpetuates a war crime?

I don't see how anyone can misinterpret my practicing sword arts as perpetuating a war crime. Using that logic, I perpetuate the atrocities of the crusades whenever I go to church. That Japanese car you drive was made by the same company that provided the means to transport those troops to Nanking. That German beer you enjoyed last week was made by the same company that sold beer to the guards at Auschwitz! What a horrible person you are for perpetuating those war crimes! Shame on you! SHAME I say!

Don't worry though. Your wambulance is on its way!

Oops! Wambulance was too late. The patient's been banned. Alas how we will miss him ....