Eighty years after the end of World War II, Japanese scholar Matsuno Seiya has donated a trove of historical photographs shedding light on Japan's 1938 military campaign in Guangdong, now part of the Chinese mainland. The images capture bombed urban landscapes, displaced civilians, and grassroots resistance movements during the invasion, offering visceral evidence of wartime atrocities.
Among the most striking visuals are handwritten banners bearing slogans like "Drive out the invaders" and "Arm the entire nation" – echoes of defiance that historians say galvanized anti-Japanese resistance across China. The collection, handed to a historical preservation society this week, coincides with renewed academic interest in documenting wartime accounts from both aggressor and survivor perspectives.
"These photos are not just records of violence, but testaments to human resilience," Matsuno stated during the handover ceremony. His decade-long research into Japan's wartime actions has drawn attention to lesser-known regional conflicts, including the Guangdong campaign that left tens of thousands dead.
Analysts note the donation comes as China-Japan relations face new challenges, making such historical reckonings particularly timely. The photos are expected to be digitized for public access by early 2024.
