The History of China vs. Japan: War, Atrocities, and Memory

The history between China and Japan is long and complicated, filled with centuries of cultural exchange, rivalry, and shifting power. Yet, one of the most devastating and unforgettable chapters came during World War II, when Imperial Japan invaded China and committed widespread atrocities that left deep scars on both the land and its people. For millions of Chinese civilians, the war was not just about military battles but about survival under one of the most brutal occupations in modern history.

The Invasion of China: 1937

The Second Sino-Japanese War began officially on July 7, 1937, with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, a skirmish outside Beijing that quickly escalated into a full-scale invasion. Japan’s ambitions for empire had already been evident with its earlier invasion of Manchuria in 1931, but by 1937, it set out to conquer all of China.

Japanese forces advanced rapidly, capturing major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, resisted, but the army was unprepared for Japan’s military might and ruthless tactics. Civilians often became the targets of massacres, looting, and bombing campaigns meant to crush morale.

The Nanjing Massacre (December 1937 – January 1938)

The invasion reached its most horrific point after the fall of Nanjing, then China’s capital, on December 13, 1937. What followed was six weeks of brutality that became known as the Rape of Nanjing or the Nanjing Massacre — one of the most notorious war crimes of the 20th century.

• Mass Executions: Chinese soldiers who surrendered were not treated as prisoners of war but slaughtered in mass executions. Fields and rivers around Nanjing were filled with bodies. Estimates suggest 200,000–300,000 people were killed.

• Widespread Sexual Violence: Perhaps the most infamous part of the massacre was the systematic rape of women. Between 20,000 and 80,000 women — from young girls to grandmothers — were assaulted by Japanese soldiers. Many were killed afterward to silence them, while others were left permanently scarred, physically and emotionally.

• Looting and Arson: Homes, businesses, and cultural institutions were burned and looted. The city’s identity as a cultural and political center was devastated.

Eyewitnesses, including Westerners who established a “Nanjing Safety Zone,” documented the horrors in diaries, photographs, and testimonies. Their records remain crucial evidence against denialism.

Unit 731 and Human Experimentation

While Nanjing was the most visible atrocity, other horrors were carried out in secret. The Japanese military operated Unit 731, based in Harbin, Manchuria, where civilians and prisoners — mostly Chinese — were subjected to gruesome experiments:

• Vivisection without anesthesia.

• Biological weapons testing using plague, anthrax, and cholera.

• Freezing experiments to test frostbite treatments.

• Forced infections and dissections of prisoners.

Thousands died in Unit 731, and the survivors lived with permanent trauma. Shockingly, after the war, many leaders of Unit 731 were not tried in court, as the U.S. granted them immunity in exchange for their research.

Cultural Destruction and Daily Suffering

Beyond these infamous crimes, everyday life under Japanese occupation was marked by constant suffering:

• Families were torn apart as civilians were killed or conscripted into forced labor.

• Food shortages and famine spread in occupied regions as the Japanese military seized harvests.

• Cultural sites and religious institutions were destroyed or looted, erasing pieces of China’s heritage.

Yet even in these times, Chinese communities resisted. Both the Nationalist and Communist factions fought against the invaders, and local resistance groups provided intelligence, hid neighbors, and carried out sabotage missions.

The Human Cost

The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) resulted in staggering human loss. Estimates suggest that 15–20 million Chinese civilians and soldiers died, with countless others displaced or permanently affected by violence. For survivors, the trauma was generational.

Memory, Denial, and Reconciliation

The legacy of these atrocities still shapes Sino-Japanese relations today. While some Japanese leaders have issued apologies, debates continue over how fully the crimes are acknowledged in textbooks, museums, and official statements. In China, the memory of the war remains deeply personal — many families still carry the stories of grandparents who endured the occupation.

For the world, the Rape of Nanjing and related atrocities serve as a warning: when human beings are dehumanized and militarism goes unchecked, unimaginable crimes can occur. Remembering this history is not about hatred, but about justice, truth, and preventing repetition.

Why We Must Remember

The story of China and Japan during World War II is not just about two nations. It is about the cost of war, the fragility of humanity, and the resilience of people who survived.

Remembering the Rape of Nanjing, the horrors of Unit 731, and the countless unnamed tragedies is a moral responsibility. It honors the victims, strengthens the fight against denial, and reminds us that silence in the face of atrocity is complicity.