The journey of Japan’s transformation into a modern nation began when it decided to open its gates to the world. For centuries, Japan had remained a closed island, with its people largely isolated from the global community. The majority of the population engaged in farming, animal husbandry, and fishing, with limited foreign trade or interaction. By the time Japan decided to step into the modern world, they realized they had lagged by a century in technology and civilization.

Determined to catch up, Japan embarked on a path of progress and development. However, they faced a significant challenge — the country had limited land while their neighbor, China, had vast territories suitable for agriculture. Believing themselves to be a superior race, the Japanese set their sights on colonizing China to accelerate their development.

Japan devised a shockingly ambitious three-month plan to invade and conquer China. Despite the vastness of their target and the complexity of the task, they believed they could achieve their goal with ease. However, the reality proved much different. The first step, capturing Shanghai, took six months instead of the planned three.

Next on the list was the city of Nanjing. The invasion and subsequent occupation of Nanjing led to horrific crimes against humanity, which can be compared to the brutal acts committed by ISIS in recent years. Heartbreaking photos of the atrocities committed in Nanjing can be easily found online, but at the time, these events were overshadowed by World War II, leaving the people of Nanjing unheard and their suffering unaddressed.

Japanese officers engaged in a chilling game, betting on who could kill the most people in a day. Civilians and prisoners were lined up, and the officers brutally executed them with swords. The thought of being in such a situation is unimaginable and horrific. While exact numbers are hard to come by, it’s estimated that over 300,000 people were slaughtered in Nanjing. Many women were brutally raped and then killed.

The question that remains is, what drove this extreme violence? What could have possibly justified the pain and suffering inflicted upon the innocent people of Nanjing? In the next edition of The Human Nightmare, I will delve deeper into other cases of human atrocities and the dark side of our history.

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