A governor of the Japanese broadcaster NHK made the controversial remarks that the Nanjing Massacre in China never took place. In response, the curator of the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Zhu Chengshan has condemned the remarks in a written statement.
Zhu says Naoki Hyakuta’s remarks hurt, humiliate and infringe on the survivors and families of those killed in the atrocities. He calls the remarks baseless nonsense and points out that there’s ample evidence, including testimony and pictures, to corroborate the massacre.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said denying historical facts about the massacre is a blatant challenge to international justice and human conscience. Hong urged Japan to respect history, and take concrete action to regain trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community.
Naoki Hyakuta, a member of the NHK board of governors, made the comments during a campaign for a right-wing candidate in the Tokyo gubernatorial election. Besides calling the atrocities a "fabrication", he reportedly said the history of the massacre should not be taught to Japanese children.
Meanwhile, NHK president Katsuto Momii has retracted what he calls "his personal viewpoints" about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. In January, he said Abe’s controversial visit to the shrine was an act of belief.
