On December 31, 1937, after capturing Nanjing, the Japanese invaders began a bloody massacre of unarmed Nanjing citizens for six weeks, creating the appalling "Nanjing Massacre". The blood of 300,000 compatriots has soaked this ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. Nanjing also instantly became a purgatory on earth, with corpses strewn across the field, rivers of blood, and scorched earth.
But few people know that in this city that once witnessed the killing and bestiality of Japanese devils, there will be a "Japanese shrine".
(Japanese shrine at the top of Godai Mountain)
So, what are the little-known stories of this "Japanese shrine"?
1. Where is the specific location of the "Japanese Shrine"?
Located on the top of Wutai Mountain in the center of Nanjing, in the compound of the Jiangsu Provincial Sports Bureau, the "Nihon Shrine" is a typical Japanese-style temple building. It has a pillared pedestal, low hilltops, black tiles and dark red colonnades, and yellow walls. Two stone lions crouch on either side of the gate, and this very different architectural style makes it clearly different from other buildings around it.
The "shrine" is a brick and wood structure, divided into two buildings: a large temple and a small temple. Facing west of the main entrance is the great temple, and the main hall is dedicated to the great statue of the Japanese god Amaterasu and the Japanese sword. The two side compartments are used to enshrine the spiritual seats of Japanese officers above the school level. The temple is mainly dedicated to officers of the rank of lieutenant and ordinary soldiers.
After the death of the Japanese soldier, his spiritual position and ashes will be sent here, placed in a small grid, and the urn details the name, age, rank, and place of birth of the Japanese soldier.
Why did the Japanese choose to build a "shrine" on Mount Wutai?
First, because the terrain of Mount Wutai is relatively high, standing on it can overlook the entire city of Nanjing, and the Japanese believe that the feng shui here is good. Moreover, Mount Wutai is relatively close to the Japanese crematorium, which is convenient for the rapid storage of ashes. At the same time, the ashes of Japanese soldiers stored in Nanjing could eventually be transported back to Japan by water.
Second, Nanjing is the command area of the Central China Dispatch Army of the Japanese invasion of China, where tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers are stationed, and it is the distribution center of Japanese soldiers. By placing the ashes of the dead Japanese soldiers here, we can use the "shrines" to engage in various sacrificial activities; we can also choose the right opportunity to return the ashes of the Japanese soldiers to the Japanese mainland in batches so as not to affect the so-called "morale" of the Japanese invaders.
Third, Nanjing was the seat of the Wang puppet regime at that time, and if the "Japanese Shrine" was built here, it would have a certain symbolic significance for the Japanese. At the same time, when the Japanese carried out sacrifice ceremonies, they could also force the traitors of the Wang puppet regime to participate.
(Nanjing Massacre Memorial Wall)
3. Who built the "shrine"?
In February 1940, the Japanese gathered two brigades of soldiers and began to build a "shrine". He also forcibly recruited many laborers and architects in Nanjing. The overall design of the shrine was completed by Ichiro Takami, a Japanese, and is completely modeled on the scale and style of the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan.
In the process of construction, two thousand pits were also excavated, which were full of victims of the Nanjing Massacre. These people were the Chinese anti-aircraft artillery unit and some policemen stationed at Wutai Mountain at that time, as well as a small number of Nanjing citizens.
After nearly two years of construction, the "shrine" was completed in 1942. The Japanese invaders built defensive facilities outside the gates, including watchtowers and observation decks. At the same time, a squadron of Japanese officers and men was stationed here, and the guard against the "shrine" was strengthened.
4. What are the ritual activities of the "shrine"?
Every year in April, senior Japanese officials stationed in Nanjing would lead the Japanese to start an annual festival with the cooperation of the Wang puppet regime. One of the largest and most solemn ones occurred in 1943, when the Japanese paid tribute to Tsukada.
Tsukada was a major general in the Japanese Army and was then the chief of staff of the Central China Dispatch Army of the Japanese invasion of China. On December 18, 1942, Tsukada took the opportunity to fly from Nanjing to Hankou. Over Anhui, it was shot down by the anti-aircraft guns of the 48th Army of the Nationalist Army, and all 11 people on board were killed. Tsukada also became Japan's top army officer who died at the hands of the Chinese army.
(Tsukada attacked the old photo)
V. What is the final outcome of the "shrine"?
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Nationalist government transformed it into the "Memorial Hall of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War" and later became the headquarters of the Chinese Boy Scouts.
After liberation, the "shrine" was assigned to the office of the Jiangsu Provincial Sports Committee, and some buildings were demolished successively, leaving only the two main buildings of the "Big Temple" and "Small Temple" in it. In 2011, as evidence of Japan's invasion of China, the "shrine" was listed as a cultural relics protection unit in Jiangsu Province and became a patriotic education base.
(Reference: History of the Japanese Invasion of China)
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